On September 26th, my 3-year-old student, Leeland Silva, suffered a terrible incident after jiu-jitsu class. While his parents, Alex, a Marine, and his mom, Janna, were putting his siblings in the car, Leeland went to pick some flowers for his mom. Unbeknownst to him, there was a large rattlesnake camouflaged in the brush and he got bit. His parents rushed him to the closest emergency room where he received anti-venom; however, because Leeland is so young, he needed to be transported by ambulance (the weather was too bad to risk airlifting) to the children’s hospital in Las Vegas (about a 2 hour drive) where he spent 5 nights.

Little Leeland is back home now, but the road to recovery will be long with months of doctors’ visits, physical therapy appointments, and follow-up care. While Leeland recovers, the family is also facing enormous challenges—medical bills, time away from work, the daily expenses of keeping life moving during this unexpected event, and other unforeseen expenses.

To help ease the financial burden for Alex, Janna, and their sweet family during this challenging time, we are raising funds. Any contribution—no matter the size—will make a meaningful difference. If you are unable to give financially, please consider sharing this campaign with your friends, family, and community.

Thank you for your love, caring, and support.

Master Rick Lucero and the Lucero Jiu-Jitsu Family