Mark Lopez's Heart Surgery Recovery and Rehab

Hey there family and friends near and far,

As some of you may know, on May 3rd, my brother, Mark Lopez, went into cardiac arrest during a parade in San Antonio, Texas.

Medical Emergency:

This unexpected medical emergency turned miracle, began when Mark, volunteering as a Mascot for John Paul II High School in the San Antonio parade, suddenly collapsed and stopped breathing. Fortunately, this happened in front of off duty firefighters who sprung into action performing CPR until an AED was found and used to bring Mark back to life. He was rushed to a local hospital where he underwent evaluation and several tests. A remarkable story involving parade attendees who stopped and prayed and true city Heroes!

To read more about this day that had us all on edge and emotional, click here for the San Antonio Express news article: (WARNING, the article does include a video of Firefighters performing CPR) https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1943nLdMpW/?mibextid=wwXIfr or https://bit.ly/433m9mw “The outcome was extraordinary, Ortiz and Perez said — most people in this situation don’t live. He fell almost exactly in front of our bleachers, where people who could help him were,” Perez said. “This wasn’t this guy’s time. I think he got extremely lucky with the way it went down.” Ortiz credits a higher power. “An angel was looking out for him,” Ortiz said. “He just happened to collapse in front of our bleachers. It was the best-case scenario for it to happen in front of James and me.”

Road to Recovery:

Mark is still in the hospital scheduled for open heart surgery and supported by his wife and children. He will remain in the San Antonio hospital for several days after his surgery.

The road to recovery has just begun. A week and a half before this incident, Mark received the Sacrament of Confirmation. He has dedicated so much of his time coaching and guiding young athletes at John Paul II High School. A family man who never hesitates to lend a helping hand, always putting others before himself. He’s been there for us all and I would like to help return the support. I am creating this gofundme page to help him with this journey to recovery, in the hope that he may focus on his recovery without having to worry about the hotel/traveling costs for his family and the unexpected medical expenses. Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference for this extraordinary person who has given so much to others. For those requesting to send donations via cash app, here is the info for Catherine Lopez: https://cash.app/$celopez15

Thank you all for the love, prayers, well wishes and beautiful messages of strength and courage. And a huge thank you for your generosity and support during this critical time!