My name is Angie, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read about our story. On Saturday Jan. 13, my boyfriend Tony got into a very serious ATV accident while we were on a family vacation in a small town in Mexico - resulting in 10 badly broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and clavicle and scapula fractures.

Insurance did not cover the cost of the medi-vac back to NYC -- funds from this GoFundMe will go directly towards that bill. Any additional funds collected will go towards to the estimated $25,000+ out-of-pocket medical expenses.

If preferred, funds can also be sent directly to Tony via Venmo at tonyleon111.

I've included full details on our story below if you'd like to read:

Directly following the accident, we rode 30 minutes on the ATV back to town and had to take a golf cart to the local clinic. The clinic's X-Ray showed the broken ribs displaced so badly that they suggested we transfer to their sister hospital. However, after they told us it might take 2 days for the specialist to come from Guadalajara, we decided to take a 1-hour, midnight cab ride to the nearest city. Upon arriving to a hospital there, we waited until the morning for the specialist to arrive and inform us the situation was much graver than the clinic had thought. One of his lungs had collapsed and he would therefore need an emergency chest tube surgery. The specialist also urgently recommended an "invasive" rib-plating surgery for the misaligned broken ribs.

Being far from home in unimangiable pain, outside of his insurance network, and with a single medical opinion thus far, we were faced with a very time-sensitive decision: receive an intensive surgery at a small hospital where we would have to remain for weeks even with zero complications or Air Medical Evacuation as flying commercial was not an option because of his chest tube.

The decision was not taken lightly but after much research and second/third/fourth opinions from medical professional friends and family — every single outside opinion telling us to get back to the U.S. for care — we decided to try to Air Medivac. Tony's amazing family members then worked around the clock to figure out the extremely complex logistics of an international patient transfer, and it took small miracles on many parts to get him home to New York about 6 days after the accident.

Arriving to New York, we knew the doctors would need to do their own evaluation, run additional tests, and advise care and surgical needs. We are so very thankful to the Trauma team at Bellevue hospital for their speediness yet diligence in consulting at least 6 different surgeons. Though rib-plating surgery would have been done in the first few days after the accident, due to the time that had passed and Tony's improved state, the team eventually recomended against surgery, and he is in the process of being discharged due to his positive state of recovery one week after the accident.

Aside from the facts and logistics above, I want to share that this experience was the scariest week of our lives. I am forever grateful to the people who supported us through this, we will never forget it. If you know Tony, you know he shows up fiercly for the people he loves. It's been the most beautiful thing to see all of the people in his life show up for him when he needs it most.

If you don't know Tony - I'll attempt to sum him up for you in a few words: First Year Law Student, Foster Dog Dad, Amazing Friend, Loving Son, Baby Brother, and Tio - these are all important labels that don't begin to paint the picture of his love, strength, passion, tenacity and humor. He's the first to step up for people (and pups!!!) in need, and does it with a smile and his infectious loud cackle :) He's the guy you'd want by your side during this type of experience, and I'm honored to have been the one by his side. We love you Tony!!!

Thank you for any contribution.

Including some photos from our experience as well as snapshots with family & foster pups

Tony with family & foster pups thru Pupstarzrescue