Tommy Aponte, a Miami Lakes resident and Monsignor Edward Pace High School class of 2013 alumnus, recently spent 13 days from July 10 to July 21 on a medical mission trip to Ixtahuacan, Huehuetenango, Guatemala.
Aponte has been majoring in nursing at the University of Florida and plans on becoming a nurse practitioner and eventually earning a doctorate with a specialization in either Pediatrics or Pediatric Oncology.
“I’ve always wanted to go on a mission trip ever since I was 14 years old,” said Aponte. “[I also] really wanted to get a hands-on experience in a clinical setting which is why I specifically went on a mission trip.”
The mission was done through the non-profit VIDA Volunteer organization, which focuses on providing medical, dental, and veterinary care to underserved communities in countries throughout Central and South America. Aponte, who learned about VIDA Volunteer through other Pace alumni who had worked with the organization, went on the mission with students from the University of California, Davis.
Students on the mission worked in groups of three, with each member of the group playing and alternating roles such as asking patients questions about their medical history or taking a patient’s vital signs. Aponte credits his previous work in a pediatric practice and volunteer work in hospitals with helping him in assisting patients. In addition to attending to patients’ medical needs, he also donated items such as toys and took part in activities with the community’s children.
Aponte says he experienced memorable moments such as “being able to hear a baby’s heartbeat that was still in the womb for the first time and getting to play soccer with the kids.” But above all else, Aponte says that the people he met and helped will stick with him for years to come.
“I will never forget an 8-year-old named Brian, who came in for a common cold and acute malnourishment,” said Aponte. “During his whole visit, he never left my lap, let my hand go, or stop smiling at me. It was just one of those moments that reassured my desire to go into the healthcare field.”
Aponte said, “Many people have actually asked me if I plan on going on another mission and I always reply, ‘It was definitely a first, but certainly not my last.’”