Interesting Islanders

Introducing Edna Baldado

Edna Baldado isn't retired, she's inspired. Many years ago this 68-year-old native Big Islander left her career job as an Intensive Care Nurse at Hilo Medical Center in 1993 to work as a case manager with the Native Hawaiian Health Care System known as Hui Malama Ola Na'Oiwi.
This seasoned healthcare professional had spent almost three decades helping people in crisis. She also witnessed the ravages of sicknesses that could have been managed successfully through good diet and exercise programs.
"I saw the end result when I worked in the hospital," Edna said. "I wanted to spare other people from that."
When the opportunity arose through a 100 percent funded grant program through the Native Hawaiian Health Fund, Edna took a gigantic leap of faith and decided to make a difference in the lives of many people.
"My philosophy of life is simple," she said. "I want to be what God wants me to be. Most everything I do focuses on helping other people in whatever way I can. Now I am helping them move on, get better. I always hope that in the process that what I am doing will serve as a role model. That it encourages them and helps them along the way."
It can be said Edna does her job with a whole heart and a set of wheels. In fact, this dedicated wahine can be found traveling many miles around the island each week to various schools and communities, providing both individual and group counseling education that focuses mainly on diabetes, cancer and other Hawaiian health issues.
"We focus more on preventive health," Edna said. "It's a health education system set up that enables Hawaiian people to get the health care they need."
Both her passion and drive to help the Hawaiian people comes directly from her own heritage. Edna was born and raised in Kona. Her mother, a pure Hawaiian who was a lauhala weaver, and her father, an immigrant from Germany who stowed away on a merchant marine ship to find a better place to live and sailed around the world four times before deciding to settle in West Hawaii, raised and picked Kona coffee.
Edna was the oldest daughter in the family of five children in the Nicol family. Her parents were both avid readers and strong proponents of education. During her first two years in high school they sent her to Kohala, where she lived in a dormitory. Edna's finished her last two years at Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu.
After graduation she went to work for awhile, however Edna soon fell in love with Sam Baldado, married and had her eldest son, Bobby. She stayed home and took care of him for the next 10 years.
During that time the young family moved to Papaiko to be near her husband's family. Edna's heart began to tug her to a degree in higher education. It was then she went back to work to pay for her tuition at the University of Hawaii, Hilo Campus.
"I always wanted to be a nurse," Edna remembered. "I was thrilled when I was one of 22 selected for the first licensed practical nursing program at UH Hilo."
Edna immediately went to work in her chosen field, but decided to earn an associate degree for nursing, then a bachelor degree in nursing when they were finally offered through the same school.
During that time, Edna and her husband decided to hanai a baby into their family. Soon, another son, Dale, was added into their loving home.
She also worked her way up the career ladder in various nursing roles until she decided she didn't want to climb anymore. Now, it was time to soar.
Besides her extensive travels around the Big Island, Edna is working on a joint project with the Bay Clinic to increase diabetes awareness, which is running rampant in the area.
"Until four years ago we had the highest incidence of diabetes in people from Hawaii," Edna said. "And, it was highest in East Hawaii."
Looking back on her life, it's not surprising that Edna has no regrets in the decisions she's made.
"I've really enjoyed everything I've done," she said. "I've really enjoyed my life."
You, dear Auntie, are truly an inspiration to everyone in Hawaii. Mahalo!