Take one twenty-three-year-old male ni-Vanuatu patient for example – his story embodies the hope and opportunity that the NZMTS brings to Pacific patients like him.
He was once a young man full of dreams and hoped to see the world as a commercial pilot. His father, recounts how his fascination with planes began early.
“When he was three months old, we went to New Caledonia. I took him with me on the flight and I think that’s where the spirit started.”
“We lived near the airport, so ever since he was a boy, he would always watch as the planes would take off and land. This dream is something he has wanted for a long time.”
He decided to chase this dream into adulthood, currently training with the Advanced Aviation Training (Fiji) Ltd where he completed the theory component of his course. Whilst preparing to take the practical units of his training, a health check revealed an undiagnosed corneal scar on his left eye which left him devastated.
Through the NZMTS, which is funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and delivered by the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Group, he is now receiving a corrective and specialist contact lens that will enable him to meet the health requirements of the aviation industry and fulfill his childhood dream.
His father shares his deepest wish for his child.
"I told my son, 'your future is in your hands.' My dream for my son is to have this all cleared so that he can be in a position to reach his goals.”
After receiving his lens, he is now preparing to resume his aviation training with renewed hope and determination.