Gun Violence has Altered This Father’s Life

Hi, my name is Francisco Merida and I am raising funds for my family to help with an ongoing crisis.

Two weeks ago, Sunday (03/26/2023) morning my father was victim of gun violence and received a gunshot wound below the waist as a result of an assault. Upon hearing this I prepared for the worse and rushed over to Harbor-UCLA where he is still in the ICU undergoing treatment and is under close supervision. The gunshot wound has changed his life dramatically and he will now be using a colostomy bag for the rest of his life. He is on life support because his lungs could not expand due to fluid buildup known as pulmonary edema as well as being on constant IV fluids and severe sedating medication.

The financial hardship began when I found out that he was carrying substantial cash money (over $7,000.00 dollars), in the assault they stole all the money, phone, any forms of ID and they stole his truck with all the equipment he uses for work.

As a family we are all taking turns to be in the hospital for him and do as much as we can to cover expenses. We are all spread thin. With the rising living costs and medical financial burden we are humbly asking for any help we can get. If there is any way we could get any financial help while we survive this crisis it would mean the world to us.