
Help Victor DEKA's LUKE Prosthetic
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No private insurance pay Luke Arm
Tragic Story:On November 18, 2012, I was granted a second chance at life. It was on this day I lost my right arm, lost dear friends, and only through a miracle of God, was brought back to life after being presumed dead. Days prior to this life-changing incident. Jonathan Carrasco a dear friend and I, decided to go on vacation to the country of Cuba. Cuba, as we all know, is a country whose citizens are held at the grasp of a totalitarian regime. Despite the country’s socialistic bureaucracy, my parents are from there; and I thought visiting Cuba would bring me closer to my culture.
On the afternoon of November 18th, 2012, Jonathan and I, joined by three of our friends from Cuba, Alvaro Abrahan Cabrero Rodriguez and brothers Maykel and Robin Rodriguez Lopez, started our journey to the city of Camaguey from Cienfuegos.
Victor's Channel 7 News - WSVN (3 mins) - I was driving, Jonathan was in the passenger seat, and our three friends were in the back, when a Chevrolet truck carrying 43 passengers struck us head on at 6pm. The impact from the collision injured 33 passengers in the truck, and instantly took the life of six, including all four passengers accompanying me.
I don’t know how, or why my life was spared, but I am determined to use this God given opportunity to make a difference.
I was holding onto life by a thread when extracted from the vehicle post-accident. The car accident left me with traumatic and severe brain injuries, loss of blood that required 5 transfusions, terrible wounds, and both lungs perforated. And due to the severities of the wounds, my right arm was amputated. For eight days, I was in a coma, and the doctors decided to disconnect me from the ventilator machine, with little to no hope in my abilities to survive without life support. Miraculously, I began breathing on my own.The months following the accident were the darkest days anyone could imagine. These days were filled with fear, depression, anger, confusion, and very little care or sympathy from those around me. I needed my families support, love, and care in those hard moments that I was encountering at that time. The brain trauma had left me with very little recollection of what happened, where I was, or who I was. All that was most certainly real, in those moments after coma, was intense physical pain. Occasionally, doctors would remove the dead and infectious tissue from the amputated arm wound, to potentially promote healing.
Due to Cuba’s lack of medical advancement, and little regard to patient safety, I remember them scraping the dead tissue without any anesthetic or sedative. While I was in the hospital, I contracted a bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, causing severe and painful skin infections. The lack of infection prevention control was evident in Cuba’s hospital, as I continuously experienced numerous infections. As a patient in Cuba, I learned the gravity of the hospital’s quality and the severity of the hospital’s condition- no hygiene, no A/C, lack of medication, and the failure to execute processes of care.
Combinado del Este
- Maximum Security Prision -
After 13 days in the hospital, I was sent to jail with open and infected wounds, and no therapy. The conditions in the jail were inhumane and filthy, and much worse than the hospital. All I can remember, on my first days in Jail, was my wound itching incessantly and bleeding continuously, and unfortunately, the medical attention was scarce. I waited impatiently in jail for trial, as legal actions had been taken under Cuba’s judicial socialistic bureaucracy. I was very anxious and desperate waiting for the trial, to be sent home. Instead I was sentenced to seven years in prison, despite the evidence demonstrating that I, indeed, was not responsible for the tragic accident. Instead, I myself was a victim!
They withheld the documents from court showing that I did not have any alcohol or drugs in my system, and concealed that I had suffered severe brain injuries and had been in an eight day coma.
Miami Dade Police Detective
Oscar Perez created how it happened
They also didn't allow this video to be played to demonstrate it wasn't my fault even with the USA embassy in court. They wanted it to make it political and since the United States of America didn't have any tides with the communist relationship with Cuba; my country sadly couldn't do anything for me.
I spent 28 months in two Cuba’s prisons, El Convinado del Este and La Condesa. I was wasting away with rashes all over my body, continuous ongoing stomach viruses, malnourishment, and little to no medical attention; and when medical attention was given, it was rudimentary. Awaiting desperation of weeks and months (851 days in prison), finally the day of March 19th, 2015 arrived and I was sent home free (USA).
Homeland Sercurity awaiting my arrival. 3/19/2015
No amount of words or pictures exist that I can present to demonstrate all the pain suffered by the families of the victims of this horrific accident, and my family who suffered and fought for me to be free. This story, unfortunately, will never serve justice to the nightmare lived by the victims and the families of the victims. Despite being sentenced as a criminal, I was also a victim. I lost four of my closet friends, have to accept living my new life with one arm, and now am on a new road to recovery. Today, as I look at myself in the mirror, I try to look past the missing arm, and attempt to embrace life each and every day with a positive outlook. I know that this will be an ongoing challenge for me after losing my dominant arm. Activities most people take for granted every day, such as, tying shoelaces, opening a bottle, getting dressed, cutting and eating my meals, are a daily struggle for me; but I am determined to pull through all adversities.
1ST STAGE
TMR SURGERY 2/22/2017 OSHU - 8 hours
I was researching to get a surgery called Targeted Muscle Reinnervation. The surgery is for people like myself with upper-extremity amputation. Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) is a new surgical procedure that reassigns nerves that once controlled the arm and the hand.
My first undergo a procedure that consists of a surgical technique TMR. I got Dr. Albert Chi from Portland, Oregon OHSU, came from before Johns Hopkins (trauma surgeon), I wanted Dr. Albert Chi. I got it with funds from everyone. Thank you!
After medical research, I have come across a laboratory modular prosthetic arm for bilateral shoulder-level amputees, like myself. Shoulder level amputees are very rare, and because of its rarity, I am hopeful for this electric prosthetic right arm that works with brain signals. Before the placement of the arm.
PART 1 under (2 min video)
PART 2 under (2 min video)
PART 3 under (1 min video)
2ND STAGE DREAM to get BIONIC ARM (DEKA's LUKE Prosthetic ) - No insurance in all USA states cover pay the DEKA's LUKE Prosthetic Arm. Please donate any or less amount to help Victor get DEKA's LUKE Prosthetic Arm.
Next Step Bionics and Prosthetics
www.nextstepbionicsandprosthetics.com

please note: GoFundMe will has a 5% fee + 2.9% + $0.30 fee from WePay. It's included in the amount.
This will in turn promote nerve signaling and impulse to transmit information to the myoelectric prosthesis, through the use of a complex software program that may control the artificial limb. Next goal is to have the ability for my arm to feel sense of touch with the last surgery, let's see when. Any and every contribution, be it big or small, will help me achieve my goals, and make me feel normal again. I will be entirely grateful for your support. Thank you in advance! out of your heart SHARE with your friends, bless you!
All funds go to 501(c)(3) non profit The Arm Race

Tragic Story:On November 18, 2012, I was granted a second chance at life. It was on this day I lost my right arm, lost dear friends, and only through a miracle of God, was brought back to life after being presumed dead. Days prior to this life-changing incident. Jonathan Carrasco a dear friend and I, decided to go on vacation to the country of Cuba. Cuba, as we all know, is a country whose citizens are held at the grasp of a totalitarian regime. Despite the country’s socialistic bureaucracy, my parents are from there; and I thought visiting Cuba would bring me closer to my culture.

Victor's Channel 7 News - WSVN (3 mins) - I was driving, Jonathan was in the passenger seat, and our three friends were in the back, when a Chevrolet truck carrying 43 passengers struck us head on at 6pm. The impact from the collision injured 33 passengers in the truck, and instantly took the life of six, including all four passengers accompanying me.




- Maximum Security Prision -
After 13 days in the hospital, I was sent to jail with open and infected wounds, and no therapy. The conditions in the jail were inhumane and filthy, and much worse than the hospital. All I can remember, on my first days in Jail, was my wound itching incessantly and bleeding continuously, and unfortunately, the medical attention was scarce. I waited impatiently in jail for trial, as legal actions had been taken under Cuba’s judicial socialistic bureaucracy. I was very anxious and desperate waiting for the trial, to be sent home. Instead I was sentenced to seven years in prison, despite the evidence demonstrating that I, indeed, was not responsible for the tragic accident. Instead, I myself was a victim!

Miami Dade Police Detective
Oscar Perez created how it happened
They also didn't allow this video to be played to demonstrate it wasn't my fault even with the USA embassy in court. They wanted it to make it political and since the United States of America didn't have any tides with the communist relationship with Cuba; my country sadly couldn't do anything for me.
I spent 28 months in two Cuba’s prisons, El Convinado del Este and La Condesa. I was wasting away with rashes all over my body, continuous ongoing stomach viruses, malnourishment, and little to no medical attention; and when medical attention was given, it was rudimentary. Awaiting desperation of weeks and months (851 days in prison), finally the day of March 19th, 2015 arrived and I was sent home free (USA).
Homeland Sercurity awaiting my arrival. 3/19/2015

1ST STAGE
TMR SURGERY 2/22/2017 OSHU - 8 hours
I was researching to get a surgery called Targeted Muscle Reinnervation. The surgery is for people like myself with upper-extremity amputation. Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) is a new surgical procedure that reassigns nerves that once controlled the arm and the hand.


PART 1 under (2 min video)
PART 2 under (2 min video)
PART 3 under (1 min video)
2ND STAGE DREAM to get BIONIC ARM (DEKA's LUKE Prosthetic ) - No insurance in all USA states cover pay the DEKA's LUKE Prosthetic Arm. Please donate any or less amount to help Victor get DEKA's LUKE Prosthetic Arm.
Next Step Bionics and Prosthetics
www.nextstepbionicsandprosthetics.com


This will in turn promote nerve signaling and impulse to transmit information to the myoelectric prosthesis, through the use of a complex software program that may control the artificial limb. Next goal is to have the ability for my arm to feel sense of touch with the last surgery, let's see when. Any and every contribution, be it big or small, will help me achieve my goals, and make me feel normal again. I will be entirely grateful for your support. Thank you in advance! out of your heart SHARE with your friends, bless you!
All funds go to 501(c)(3) non profit The Arm Race

Organizer
Victor Barroso Jr.
Organizer
Miami, FL