Help Margarita undergo her needed hip surgery

Many of you know me, Rafael Munoz, The American Legion Department of Washington past Membership Chairman and current 11th District Commander and Post 161 Commander. My wife Margarita, who is 47 years old, now needs our help to fund her full hip replacement surgery.

As some of you know, Margarita, our two daughters, and I moved to Western Washington in October 2017, following medical evacuation from Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria and the extreme conditions there jeopardizing Margarita’s health given her complex medical condition. Margarita was once a high school basketball player recruited for an NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball program and now has significant mobility issues to where she even has difficulty with the task of putting on socks.

Margarita’s hip replacement surgery was originally scheduled for July of last year and has since been postponed or canceled numerous times. This delay has affected Margarita’s both physical and mental health, given that she struggles with 10 different medical conditions, including the excruciating pain and pressure on her hip, which radiates down her entire leg.

Since being diagnosed with her hip problem in February of 2021, Margarita’s ability to complete basic tasks has gotten increasingly worse. This has created significant ongoing frustration and anxiety for the whole family.

On January 25th, Margarita had an emergency appointment with her dentist, as she had been experiencing a severe toothache. She was referred to a dental surgeon who diagnosed her with generalized periodontitis and tooth decay. The surgeon then explained she would need to undergo a full tooth extraction (all her teeth) replaced with same-day dentures. The hip surgeon has relayed to Margarita that she needs to have oral surgery first, as it presents too much of a risk for the hip replacement surgery. The dental surgeon has also determined that after her dental procedure, Margarita must wait a month to schedule her hip surgery. The out-of-pocket cost of the oral surgery (not including the portion covered by insurance) is $14,294, with a required down payment of $7,000.

Margarita, who is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary 161, and I don’t have the means to cover this unexpected and much-needed oral surgery. Even depleting all our savings will not cover this cost given that we were forced to rebuild our lives here in Washington after Hurricane Maria. We also have one daughter in college and another starting college in the fall, making the costs of this dental surgery even more difficult to bear at this time. Undergoing this surgery is important for Margarita’s overall health but will most importantly allow her to have her much-needed hip replacement surgery. To help Margarita, you can donate using this GoFundMe account or by making a check payable to “Bright Now Dental” on behalf of Margarita Garcia. If you choose to donate using a check, feel free to contact us and we can provide you with the proper address to send the check.

If you are unable to donate, we ask that you please pray and share this with any friends and family who would be able and willing to help. Thank you for taking the time to read Margarita’s story and we thank you for any support that you can provide my family during this difficult time.