Fighting For His Life, Instead of Graduating UCLA

Just when you think you have your life on track and ready to start the next chapter of your life, you get side swiped by LIFE! I am begging and respectfully asking if you could find it in your hearts, to help Juan (pictured far right) and his devoted family with donations to help with Juan’s medical expenses and his family’s daily living expenses while staying by Juan’s bedside to see if he will wake up. Juan is currently on a ventilator, and we don’t know if there is brain damage.

Juan is my niece’s brother-in-law, making Juan and his entire family our family. This family is humble, kind, loving and united, and now they’ve been slapped in the face with how to handle Juan’s medical expenses and pay for their daily meals and housing while they are by Juan’s side. 

Last week Juan, 22, was planning his future and was excited that he was going to graduate from UCLA with a degree in English/Literature. Today he will not be able to participate with his class at the graduation ceremony.

Juan was on campus when he must have felt dizzy and fainted. We don’t know the whole story yet as Juan has not been awake to tell anybody what he remembers. He hit his head on the curb, unconscious and was bleeding profusely, a good Samaritan called 911, and they rushed him to the hospital. Now he’s lying in a hospital bed with tubes connected to him when he should have been preparing to graduate from UCLA tomorrow, June 10th.

Juan’s family rushed to the hospital from the Coachella Valley, where they work as farmers for Date Farms. Juan’s parents come from a humble background but are dedicated to working hard to provide for their family and have a sliver of the American Dream. Like most parent’s you hope your child will have opportunities you never had. Two of their children went to college, a dream come true for the family.

There were a few small scholarships that helped with Juan’s education but now, instead of helping pay for his college education, they have to pay for their daily meals, which is roughly $50 for the cheapest food they could find and housing. UCLA was kind enough to give the family free housing for seven days, but that ends today. They need to be as close to the hospital as possible, but everything in the UCLA area is costly, even in the not-so-great areas.

I am asking, pleading and begging if you could help this family so they don’t have to worry about the daily expenses of food, housing, and medical costs and focus on being with Juan. They have no idea what the future will hold for Juan since the doctors cannot access the damage at this point. We do not know if he will walk, speak, laugh, hug, smile, or anything. I could guarantee that if you met Juan, you would instantly fall in love with him and everything about him. He is a good kid and is so funny and so full of life; you would never be bored if Juan is around. He was so looking forward to getting out into the world and ready to contribute to society. I have Faith he will, he has hurdles to overcome, but I have faith that he will make it through.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read Juan’s story and to consider any donation to help Juan and his family fight this uphill battle. This family is used to uphill battles and hard work, but nothing ever prepares you for a life or death situation, especially for your child. Thank you and God bless you.