Victor Aponte, a 16-year-old from Pennsylvania, survived leukemia with the support of his local baseball community and now hopes to give back by pursuing a career in nursing. Aponte fell in love with baseball at the age of 6 and began pitching two years later.A life-changing diagnosisHowever, at 14, his life changed dramatically when he was rushed to the hospital after being unable to finish a baseball tournament. He was diagnosed with leukemia. “They told me my diagnosis and I just broke down in tears and my first thought was like, am I going to be able to play baseball again?” Aponte said. Support from the communityEL1 Reading, a baseball training company in Berks County, stepped in to help, starting a GoFundMe campaign that raised $30,000 for his medical expenses. “There’s a lot of people that love and care about Victor and his family. And the fact that they were able to raise that kind of money just showcases how we have each other’s back,” said Clint Fernandez of EL1 Reading. Aponte’s teammates also supported him by creating wristbands and T-shirts, while his high school held a blood drive in his honor. “Shock. I was just, you know, lying in a hospital bed and just hearing all this great stuff that these people are in my corner. It felt great. This is really a family I have here,” Aponte said. Return to the mound and giving backAfter losing his hair and undergoing over a year of chemotherapy, Aponte returned to the pitching mound, bolstered by the support of his community. “It was like a kick in the gut. You don’t want any kid to go through that. If things are going bad, come here, work, take your mind off of things. There’s always a place for them to go to when they know things aren’t going their way,” said Rich Delucia of EL1 Reading. Reflecting on the impact of the baseball training facility, Aponte said, “People think, you know, you’re just coming to play baseball, but here, it’s really just like family.” Now, Aponte is channeling his experience into a new purpose. “I want to play baseball in college and I want to major in nursing. I can relate to kids in the future. I was once in their situation. I can reassure them that they’re going to be OK,” Aponte said. From the mound to the medical field, Aponte is determined to give back to the community that gave so much to him.
BERKS COUNTY, Pa. —
Victor Aponte, a 16-year-old from Pennsylvania, survived leukemia with the support of his local baseball community and now hopes to give back by pursuing a career in nursing.
Aponte fell in love with baseball at the age of 6 and began pitching two years later.
A life-changing diagnosis
However, at 14, his life changed dramatically when he was rushed to the hospital after being unable to finish a baseball tournament. He was diagnosed with leukemia.
“They told me my diagnosis and I just broke down in tears and my first thought was like, am I going to be able to play baseball again?” Aponte said.
Support from the community
EL1 Reading, a baseball training company in Berks County, stepped in to help, starting a GoFundMe campaign that raised $30,000 for his medical expenses.
“There’s a lot of people that love and care about Victor and his family. And the fact that they were able to raise that kind of money just showcases how we have each other’s back,” said Clint Fernandez of EL1 Reading.
Aponte’s teammates also supported him by creating wristbands and T-shirts, while his high school held a blood drive in his honor.
“Shock. I was just, you know, lying in a hospital bed and just hearing all this great stuff that these people are in my corner. It felt great. This is really a family I have here,” Aponte said.
Return to the mound and giving back
After losing his hair and undergoing over a year of chemotherapy, Aponte returned to the pitching mound, bolstered by the support of his community.
“It was like a kick in the gut. You don’t want any kid to go through that. If things are going bad, come here, work, take your mind off of things. There’s always a place for them to go to when they know things aren’t going their way,” said Rich Delucia of EL1 Reading.
Reflecting on the impact of the baseball training facility, Aponte said, “People think, you know, you’re just coming to play baseball, but here, it’s really just like family.”
Now, Aponte is channeling his experience into a new purpose.
“I want to play baseball in college and I want to major in nursing. I can relate to kids in the future. I was once in their situation. I can reassure them that they’re going to be OK,” Aponte said.
From the mound to the medical field, Aponte is determined to give back to the community that gave so much to him.