Angel Paz needs urgent open heart surgery, scheduled for August 12, and his family is racing to raise the funds to get him there.

When Angel first got the news, he said to his son Vinicio:

"Quiero continuar con mis pajaritos."

"I want to keep going with my birds."

Anyone who knows Angel understands his love for the birds, and for Maria most of all. He loves his family just as much; it's simply easier for him to talk about the birds.

A recent echocardiogram found that his aortic valve is severely diseased in two ways at once: it's too narrow (severe stenosis) and it's leaking badly (severe regurgitation). At the same time, the aorta just above the valve has become aneurysmal, stretched well beyond a safe size. Together, these findings mean his heart has been working overtime for a while, and his doctors have told the family that open heart surgery — replacing the valve and repairing that section of the aorta in one operation — is necessary, not optional.

This surgery is expected to cost $33,000 at a minimum. We would like to raise $40,000 — enough to cover the surgery itself, Angel's five days in the hospital, and lodging in Quito for one or two family members to stay close by while he recovers. Our starting goal was $16,000; we have raised it to $30,000 thanks to the generous outpouring of support.

Angel is a pioneer of eco-tourism and bird conservation in Ecuador. At 61 years old, he still has many years of guiding, conservation work, and mentorship ahead of him. He only needs our help.

A note from me, Angie, organizing this campaign: I met Angel in 2014 while living in Ecuador, and I've stayed close with him and his family ever since — I stood alongside Angel and his brother, Rodrigo, as they raised funds to buy the family land after their mother passed, and today I help manage the website for his business and advise the family as they grow a small nonprofit they've started. To be clear, that work is separate from this campaign: I'm not being paid to organize this fundraiser, and no part of it is connected to my consulting work with the family. I'm doing this simply as a friend, because I've seen what Angel has given to this land and these birds for over two decades, and I want to help make sure he gets the same care in return.

For transparency: funds raised here will be received by Angel's son, Vinicio Paz, who is based in the U.S., and he will get them to the family in Ecuador for the surgery and related costs. If you are in Ecuador and would like to donate to an Ecuadorian account, please contact Vinicio.

Thank you for helping give Angel a chance to keep going with his pajaritos.