From Emergency to Recovery—Help Nilo and His Family Fight

As many of you may already know, Dr. Nilo Hernandez is fighting for his life. My name is Megan Gruber, and I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Dr. Nilo and his wife, Ely, at his Alabama dental practice for over a year. In that short time, he and his family—Ely, Samantha, and Chris—have become more than colleagues; they’ve become my friends and my family. Now, they are facing an unimaginable nightmare as their husband and father lies in critical care in a hospital far from home in Chicago.

On February 20, 2025, I accompanied Dr. Nilo and Ely to Chicago for a dental convention in Chicago, Illinois. Nilo was hosting a seminar when he abruptly took a seat, and within minutes, fell into cardiac arrest. His best friend and business partner, Johnny, immediately began CPR, while a room full of doctors sprang into action to administer life-saving emergency care. Ely rode with him in the ambulance, and once he was rushed into emergency surgery, she made the call no family member ever wants to make—telling their children to come as fast as they could. Both Chris and Samantha, despite being full-time medical and law students, dropped everything and were on the next available flights to Chicago to be by their father’s side.

In the past two weeks, Nilo has endured two heart surgeries, has been intubated and sedated for 11 days, and remains dependent on life-supporting machines. While he has overcome significant hurdles, including the surgical removal of an ECMO machine—one of the most advanced heart and lung support systems—his battle is far from over.

While we are grateful this medical emergency happened in a city with one of the greatest hospitals in the country, the distance has posed its own challenges for Nilo and his family. In the face of this unexpected emergency, their lives have been put on hold in a city that is foreign to them and they are now facing insurmountable medical bills and housing and travel expenses, along with their expenses back home. With recent setbacks extending Nilo’s stay in Chicago, I am asking for help on their behalf. The last thing this family should be worrying about right now is how they will afford to stay in Chicago and leave their lives at home (in Alabama and Miami) on hold.

My hope is that the community this family has built and helped can now give back to them and help them navigate this unexpected challenge and life-altering, emotional event. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help relieve this burden and allow them to focus on what truly matters—bringing Nilo home. Please share this fundraiser and keep Nilo and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your support.