A Central Florida doctor has made it his mission to make sure elderly Puerto Ricans suffering in the wake of Hurricane Maria get supplies they desperately need.
Dr. Alfonso Gonzalez organized a drive for medical supplies and plans to deliver them himself to make sure they get to the people they’re intended for.
“It is our turn to give back and give them the quality of life they gave us at one time,” Gonzalez said.
Unlike the younger generation, elderly Puerto Ricans can't go without certain items for an extended period of time, Gonzalez said.
“We have blue pads. We have diapers. We have supplements,” he said.
Jennifer Jordan, with Kindred Hospice, was one of the people who donated items to Gonzalez’s effort.
“Just imagining them having to struggle every day, waking up with no air, no power, no medication, no way to communicate,” she said.
Gonzalez’s 74-year-old father, who is in Puerto Rico, mentioned to his son the needs of elderly Puerto Ricans that weren’t being met.
The desire to help them is a personal one, Gonzalez said.
“Outside of this medical jacket, it is personal,” he said. “Why? Because my heart is in Puerto Rico. My dad is still there.”
When asked by WFTV anchor Jorge Estevez how he planned to make sure the supplies made it to the elderly people in need, Gonzalez said he would make sure that happened.
“We are going to take it ourselves,” he said. “We are going to figure it out.”
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