Ms Helu was born and raised in Tonga till the age of thirteen. Her father from the villages of Lotofoa, Ha'apai and Ta'anea, Vava'u, and her mother from Ha'alalo and Kanokupolu, Tongatapu. She says a big part of why she chose to pursue medicine was the struggles her family faced in navigating the healthcare system.
"Being raised in Tonga during my adolescent years, I watched my family struggle to understand the healthcare system. This caused difficulties in managing their health conditions as they weren’t properly educated or fully understand the severity of their conditions. These struggles became the pillar and most of all the backbone of why I have chosen to pursue a career in medicine."
Ms Helu further elaborates on her family's experiences and says it's one of her biggest motivations to strive towards helping her family and other Pacific families better understand their health conditions.
"My father suffers from diabetes, hypertension, and gout and has a history of TIA. One of my brothers passed away when we were living in Tonga due to meningitis and my other brother survived cancer at the age of ten as he was able to be treated in Aotearoa. I also went through some challenges when I fractured my fibula which led to an infection and resulted in three other surgeries.
"Although my family and I have gone through some tough challenges, we’re grateful for the care we have received since migrating from our homeland. I wish the things we have now were available to my late brother. I hope one day I am a part of something big that could give back to the Pacific Islands and their communities."
Having developed a passion for surgery and research throughout her studies, Ms Helu has taken a gap year in her fifth year of medical school to undertake a BMedSci (Hons). She also received the Papaali'I Dr Semisi Ma'ia'I Scholarship in 2022 through PMA which will go towards her elective placement.
"The scholarship will assist in my travels back to my homeland, the Kingdom of Tonga, this December where I will be for my Intern Elective Placement. I am in the process of arranging a surgical placement at Vaiola Hospital with Dr Viliami Tangi, an inspirational Tongan surgeon. It would be a dream come true to learn from him and his team.
"This scholarship will alleviate financial pressures of an overseas placement and provide the opportunity to give back to my people whilst gaining additional knowledge that would add value to my growth as an upcoming Pasifika woman in healthcare."
Ms Helu is excited to further upskill and grow as she aspires to become one of many Pacific Clinical Scientists/Surgeons. She encourages anyone looking to pursue a career in health care to use and spend their time wisely and to enjoy the journey as best as they can.