Help Antonio Ortiz Heal After Severe Accident

Hi everyone, my name is Maria Loera and I’m the daughter of Maria and Antonio Ortiz, 67 years old. I am a wife and mother to four handsome boys. I live in Edinburg, TX in The Rio Grande Valley. I am starting this GoFundMe page for my father Antonio who had a severe accident at work that now has him hospitalized in the ICU in the Hennepin County Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

On July 18, 2024, my dad Antonio, along with my mom Maria and my brother-in-law Michael, traveled from the small town of Hargill, Texas to Glencoe, Minnesota to work on a seasonal harvest of corn. My mom explained that on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, they returned to work to their assigned area which is located on the second story of the warehouse. The second story is about 15 feet high. My dad Antonio reached for a safety rail that was on the edge of the second story floor. But my dad did not know the rail was not secured properly. The safety rail gave way and my dad fell down to the concrete floor. My mom saw him as he was falling but was not close enough to reach him. My mom ran to the first floor but was held back by employees so she would not move my dad. My mom saw how my dad was laying unconscious on the floor for 10 minutes without being able to do anything. Then my dad was transported to the local hospital in Glencoe and then airlifted to Hennepin County Hospital ER in Minneapolis. My mom was not allowed to go with him in the helicopter but my brother-in-law drove an hour to the hospital.

The doctors at Hennepin CH said my dad suffered damage to his right side of the head, 5 broken ribs, one punctured lung, multiple fractures to his face, broken femur, broken tibia, and some small cuts on his left arm. My dad is still under heavy sedation due to the injuries and seizures now being caused by the damage to his brain. Doctors estimate a slow and extensive recovery if he wakes up and if he starts breathing on his own.

I was able to take the quickest flight to Minneapolis to help my mom in this hard time but we are not from the area and we don’t have the resources to cover for stay, food, and transportation for the months to come. Also my dad’s healing process is said to take 6 to 12 months. We do not know yet in what conditions and limitations his body is going to have after being discharged from the hospital.

My mom will not be able to go back to work because she is by my dad’s side in the hospital and she will not be having any income from work. My family is sending what they can contribute from back in Texas. I’m reaching out to all of you in hope that you find in your heart the gift of helping. Anything you donate helps and if you can’t donate your prayers will also help. Thank you in advance for your donations and prayers.