Instructor Overcomes Aplastic Anemia and Gives Back Through Blood Drives and CampSupport

"My name is Xisto Montoya, and I am an instructor at TriDo Martial Arts Academy." With that simple introduction, few would guess the depth of strength and compassion behind those words. For nearly a decade, Xisto has been hosting annual blood drives and fundraisers - a personal mission born from a life-changing experience with severe aplastic anemia at just ten years old.

Aplastic anemia is a rare and serious condition in which the bone marrow fails to produce enough blood cells. During treatment, the instructor spent countless hours in hospitals and transfusion labs, witnessing firsthand the critical importance of donated blood. "I had to go to the transfusion lab a lot," he recalls. "Hearing how much blood people needed made me want to find a way to help as well." Though he is unable to donate blood himself due to medical restrictions, that hasn't stopped him from organizing drives to ensure others receive the lifesaving help he once needed.

This year marks the second annual TriDo Blood Drive - part of an effort that has now spanned nine years. In addition to the blood drive, the event will also raise funds for Camp Enchantment, a camp for children with cancer and other serious illnesses. It's a place close to his heart. "Camp was pretty important," Xisto explains. "During my stay at the hospital, I was really shy and didn't want to talk to many people. But when I went to camp, I met so many people like me, and I'm still friends with many of them and even with the counselors.

They helped me get to where I am now."

Camp Enchantment provided something hospital walls couldn't - freedom, laughter, and community. For many children, it's a place to rediscover joy and belonging in the midst of difficult journeys. Supporting it now allows Xisto to give back to the same organization that helped him heal, not just physically, but emotionally.

His journey has been intertwined with taekwondo since the age of three. After moving from Wyoming to Albuquerque at age five, Xisto's family found Dynamic Taekwondo, where Master Park became both teacher and mentor. "They became my second family," he says. "They helped me through tournaments, tests, and even my sickness." Years later, when Master Park opened TriDo Martial Arts Academy, Xisto was invited to return - this time as part of the teaching team. Today, he leads main classes and the demo team, guiding students with the same encouragement and resilience that once carried him through his own challenges.

Outside the dojang, Xisto continues to pursue his calling to help others. Now a licensed practical nurse (LPN), he is studying to earn his Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with hopes of becoming a pediatric special care nurse. His goals are clear and heartfelt: to reach his 4th-degree black belt, continue his community service, and keep inspiring others through his actions.

"I host these blood drives as my way to help others," he says. "I felt the need to help people who were going through similar situations that I was."

From a shy hospital patient to a confident martial arts instructor and nurse-in-training, this journey is a testament to perseverance, gratitude, and the power of giving back. Through his annual blood drives and support for Camp Enchantment, Xisto continues to turn his past challenges into a source of hope for others - one act of kindness, and one drop of blood, at a time.