Bring 'Romy' Home

From the time he was just 17 years old, moving from a small farming town in Puebla, Mexico to live his American dream and provide for his family, Romualdo ‘Romy’ Galindo knew how to take care of others.

Following a lifetime of generosity and compassion, on Wednesday, August 29th he fell from a tree while at work and suffered several injuries, the worst – severe damage to his C3 vertebrae. In most cases, this serious spinal cord injury causes complete paralysis and leaves patients unable to eat, speak or breathe on their own.

Romualdo ‘Romy’ Galindo – husband, dad, pa, grandpa, friend, mentor and more – wasn’t and isn’t like most people. After a difficult surgery and days in the trauma ICU, he is now recovering at the Kessler Institute. Today, he is able to move his arms, feed himself and breathe on his own. He is truly a living miracle.

Despite the surgery, despite his unwavering positivity and despite the love of his family and friends, Romy remains paralyzed from the waist down – robbing him of the independence we all take for granted.

Although he now faces new challenges, those who have the pleasure of knowing him, know he is not one to be defeated. He’s always been a hard worker. Working multiple jobs, weekends and more to support his family. Doing whatever it takes to get the job done.

Look no further than his experience coming to this country to see his courage, strength and hard work -- leaving behind his wife and the son she was carrying as well as their two-year-old son. After a few short years of work, his dedication paid off. He was sponsored, became a citizen and relocated his family to the United States to build his legacy.

As the patriarch of a family of five accomplished children and six beautiful grandchildren he has paved the way and led by example. He eventually started his own business and along with his wife raised a beautiful family.

Rolando, his oldest, went on to be the first in his family to graduate college. The second oldest, Jr., became the first in the family to serve our nation as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and is currently deployed in Afghanistan on one of his multiple tours of duty. Eloisa his only daughter, is committed to his care -- from massages to haircuts -- and drives over an hour daily with her mother to visit him at rehab with three children under four years old in tow. Edgar, his youngest adult child, also graduated college and is working diligently to care for his family while coordinating plans to bring his dad home. Alex, the youngest is only a sophomore in high school and is navigating the circumstances with courage and maturity.

Romy always serves others. There has never been a time where he has not lent a hand to someone down on their luck. From offering free landscaping and construction service to taking in the homeless and providing them with clothing, food and skills training -- service is essential to who he is. Over the years, this has included volunteering in his local church, Saint Rose of Lima in Freehold, coaching little league baseball and more. His door is always open.

Now Romy is in need of the same service he has blessed others with throughout his life. Once a hardworking man that could not stop moving, working and helping others, he is now faced with paralysis.

In just a short 6-8 weeks, Romy will be ready to come home. His family is ready to welcome him home with open arms. However, his home is not prepared. Due to his paralysis, there are many costly repairs that need to be made to the home in order to accommodate him.

The donations received through this page will help the family to purchase the necessary materials and equipment to renovate their garage to make it an accessible living space. Examples of the equipment needed include:

·       A special motorized wheelchair

·       A handicap accessible wetroom-style shower and bathroom

·       A lift, to be able to move him from his bed to his wheelchair and from his wheelchair to shower wheelchair

·       A ramp to be able to access his new room and bathroom in the garage

·       Materials needed to complete the remodel of the garage including an air conditioning unit, lumber, drywall, etc.

·       A wheelchair accessible van for transportation

Any donation, of any size, would be a tremendous blessing to this deserving family. Every dollar goes towards bringing Romy home.

If you are interested in donating your time, talents, services or any pre-owned equipment, please email Edgar Galindo at [email redacted].

Please note, we are also willing to coordinate picking up donations or mailed donations if you are unfamiliar with GoFundMe.  

To date we have been blessed with tremendous contributions: free labor from a contractor, free labor from a plumber and free drawings and designs from an architect. We are still in need of a licensed electrician to assist with the job.