T he Dec. 9 Stand With Puerto Rico donation drive at the George T. Harrell, MD,
Medical Education Building was the first in a string of events Velez is planning.
She kicked off the event with a heartfelt appeal, asking attendees to give what
they could, specifically personal hygiene products, first-aid kits and bug repellent to
combat the mosquito-borne illnesses that result from an abundance of standing water.
“Puerto Rico is a very small place with a very big heart. We want to get them back
on their feet,” she said. “This is more than an acute disaster; it’s a rebuild effort that
will take a long time. Even if it’s not on the news anymore, it’s still happening for the
people of Puerto Rico. I want the UF College of Medicine to be a part of that.”
Velez introduced two third-year students from San Juan Bautista School of Medicine,
Elsa Rodriguez and Brian Torres, who recounted their experiences on the island before,
during and after Hurricane Maria, which made landfall Sept. 20. The UF College of
Medicine sponsored the pair's clinical rotations, allowing them to continue their medical
training without delay.
“Things were already difficult before Maria
hit because of Hurricane Irma,” Rodriguez said.
She said the hardest part of the storm was
the lack of communication she had with
her family in Miami. A few days after the
storm, she and Torres took a Royal Caribbean
humanitarian cruise ship to Florida. While on
board, the pair volunteered with the ship’s
medical team, performing health screenings
and cleaning wounds for the other passengers.
“It was a great opportunity to see people
come together to help others,” Rodriguez said.
After Rodriguez and Torres spoke, attendees were treated to lunch, followed by
Zumba and salsa dance classes. Velez said the event was intended to honor the joy and
resiliency of the Puerto Rican people.
Maria Velazquez, MD, director of the UF College of Medicine Anaclerio Learning and
Assessment Center, assisted Velez in her efforts to begin the initiative. Velazquez’s
mother and four siblings live in Puerto Rico.
“As a Puerto Rican living off the island, I’ve personally felt very guilty for eating warm
foods, taking warm showers, even drinking water from the faucet,” she said. “Lymaries
and I realized very quickly that we needed to give back something meaningful —
supplies they really need.”
The UF College of Medicine group has already sent more than two
dozen boxes of donated goods to Puerto Rico. Residents of the town of
Morovis, located in the center of the island, were given the personal
hygiene products, first-aid kits and bug repellent collected during
the donation drive. Future fundraising events will be held this year,
Velazquez said, with the goal of raising money to “adopt families with
very specific needs.”
“From Day 1, we teach the medical students that they are citizens
of the world,” Velazquez said. "They're in this program to help others,
especially those without the means or those living in places without access
to care. Puerto Rico is one of those places right now. I’m very proud of
Lymaries’ efforts.”
"EVEN IF IT'S NOT ON THE NEWS ANYMORE, IT'S STILL
HAPPENING FOR THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO. I WANT
THE UF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE TO BE A PART OF THAT."
ge rsonally er ve y two
esidents e t ll o hat ogram ng access
To learn more or get involved in the initiative,
contact Lymaries Velez at lymaries@ufl.edu.
of
tive,
du.
— Lymaries Velez
Left: Event attendees participate in a salsa lesson at the Dec. 9 donation drive. Right: Lymaries Velez and Dr. Maria Velazquez (center)
pose with colleagues and friends next to the donation drop-off station in the George T. Harrell, MD, Medical Education Building.
PHOTO BY JESSE S. JONES
PHOTO BY JESSE S. JONES
PHOTO COURTESY OF LYMARIES VELEZ
Dr. David Gonzalo, Lymaries Velez,
Dr. Victoria Bird, Dr. Maria Velazquez
and Dr. Giuliano De Portu at the
Dec. 9 donation drive.
DOCTOR GATOR | 5
link