I was genuinely amazed after watching the videos “Opening the Loop” and “Healthcare Made Human” this week. These videos spotlight open source projects in the healthcare industry aiming to help people with diabetes. It saddened me to see the daily struggles many face simply to get access to the insulin they need to survive. However, the power of open source collaboration also shined through.

OpenAPS especially intrigued me - it connects continuous glucose monitors to personal devices so patients can set customized alarms and notifications. By tapping into an existing tool and making it more personalized and reactive to individual needs, OpenAPS empowers patients to better control their treatment. The potential here is exciting.

At the same time, important questions arise around privacy, data security, and who has access to our most sensitive health information. As innovations like OpenAPS spread, we need balanced conversations around both promoting access and affordability while also establishing ethical data protections.

My Contributions So Far

I’ve enjoyed making smaller contributions to various open source projects like Wikipedia, FreeCodeCamp, and OpenStreetMap. Contributing to different communities has given me valuable perspective into how each functions and operates. It’s also shown me the breadth of open source projects out there making a difference.

The most challenging part starting out was simply choosing where to focus my efforts. With so many options, it can feel overwhelming narrowing down where I might make the most impact. But I’ve learned that sometimes you just have to pick something and dive in.

I’m proud of all my contributions so far, but I’m most excited to work on projects addressing humanitarian needs - like the diabetes tools I mentioned above. After seeing open source’s power to transform health outcomes, I want my skills to directly help people in tangible ways.

This is only the start of my open source journey. I can’t wait to see where it leads and how I can leverage my passions and skills to drive both innovation and access.