Christie Gales

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Christie Gales

Medical dietetics major Christie Gales worked at the Garden of Hope at Waterman Farm and helped provide important therapy for cancer survivors.
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Medical dietetics major Christie Gales worked at the Garden of Hope at Waterman Farm and helped provide important therapy for cancer survivors.

Major: Medical Dietetics

Up Next, Career Aspirations: Gales will take the registration examination for dietetics to become a registered dietician. She plans to go into clinical dietetics and one day work in dialysis.

Mentor: Kristen Roberts, assistant professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Roberts helped Gales complete her undergraduate research thesis, which she presented at the 2021 Denman Research Forum. Gales took third in the Food Science and Nutrition category.

Scholarships: Autumn 2020 Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Scholarship.

Involvement: JamesCare for Life Garden of Hope student worker. Student Dietetic Association, Treasurer.

Farm life in the city: Gales recently began her fourth season as a student worker/farmer for the Garden of Hope. The Garden of Hope is a 1.5-acre plot of land on Ohio State’s Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory that grows large varieties of organic fruits, vegetables and herbs to nourish cancer survivors and their caregivers.

“It’s a unique opportunity for these patients to see things grow and thrive,” Gales said. “It’s a lasting experience for these people and myself.”

In typical years, cancer survivors within the program harvest their own crops weekly. During COVID-19, Gales, Kendall Gilmore, a fellow student, and coordinator Amy Barr did all the harvesting for people, picking a colorful array of fruits and vegetables for about 120 cancer survivors each week.

That trio also cared for the Garden of Hope in every way, including planting about 25,000 plants throughout the year — everything from typical plants like sweet corn, lettuces, tomatoes, peas, cucumbers and carrots to kohlrabi, ground cherries and fancy herbs.

They even created recipes that feature the plants being harvested that week.

“It’s very labor intensive but it’s so peaceful out there,” Gales said. “You get into a rhythm and flow and the time flies by and it’s fulfilling work.

“The ability to reach out to people with good healthy food that I grew from seed, it’s kind of like giving your babies away. But when people come back and say, ‘I used that recipe you gave me last week and it was great,’ that’s a home run feeling.”

Healing Through Nourishment: Gales grew up taking medications for asthma. When she switched to a plant-based diet, her symptoms vanished.

“That led me to want to help others,” she said. “There’s a real link between the immune system and proper nutrition, especially food from [the Garden of Hope] where you pick it from the plant, take it home and eat it. It’s the most nutrient rich food we can offer.

“These patients are burdened by the costs and energy loss from cancer treatments and it’s hard for them to have the time or resources to grow their own food or even buy fresh produce. Ensuring they have that, especially this year with COVID, was super important.”