Hope in Action: A Fundraiser for Nathan Aguilera's Recovery

INTRO

Our dear friend Nathan Aguilera -- known to thousands online as @FoodieFlashpacker -- is facing the fight of his life after suffering a traumatic brain injury. And now, he needs our help.

WHAT HAPPENED

On the night of May 17, Nathan Aguilera had dinner with friends before falling victim to a devastating hit-and-run accident while walking home along his usual route. As he lay in the street, his belongings were stolen, and his condition worsened without proper medical intervention. He was initially denied care at a private hospital due to a lack of identification and up-front payment, and was eventually transported to a public hospital in critical condition.

Despite clear signs of a traumatic brain injury—including confusion, memory loss, an ear bleed, and a dangerously low Glasgow Coma Score—Nathan was repeatedly denied care in the days that followed due to insurance delays.

It wasn’t until five days after the incident that Nathan finally underwent emergency brain surgery. He is now recovering, awake, and miraculously alert after a medically induced coma, but he faces a long and expensive road ahead.

Our upcoming fundraising event on 07/10/2025 from 6-9:00PM (at Slate in Founder's Tower in Oklahoma City) aims to raise critical funds to cover Nathan’s extensive medical bills, rehabilitation, and ongoing recovery. Your support will help ensure that Nathan receives the care he desperately needs—and was initially denied. Together, we can help him heal and rebuild.

WHERE THE MONEY WILL GO

While Nathan isn't facing the overwhelming hospital bills that he might if he were in the United States, there are still significant medical and caregiving expenses that go beyond what the Mexican system covers.

We are raising funds to cover the following:

--Caregiver support. Nathan's family and close friends have flown in from around the world to be with him, taking shifts to ensure he's never alone, and they need money to support their accommodation, food, transportation, and other living expenses.

--Long-term rehabilitation and future medical costs. While the road ahead is still uncertain, we know Nathan will need extensive care. This may include outpatient treatment, specialized equipment, home modifications, and/or professional caregivers.

--Income replacement. While Nathan earns some income passively through his business, it's not enough to cover his regular living expenses, ongoing business expenses, and the additional costs tied to his recovery. Your donations will help ensure he can stay afloat financially while he focuses on healing.

WHY WE LOVE NATHAN

If you're Nathan's friend, you already know why we love him. If you follow Nathan on @FoodieFlashpacker, he's taught you how to find the best local eats -- and you've felt his joy for food and travel shine through every post.

If you're here as a friend of a friend, let's tell you a bit more about this wonderful guy.

Nathan is originally from Oklahoma City and in 2014 he quit his job to travel the world for six months -- but once he got a taste of travel, his bucket list got longer and longer. After getting to know several travel content creators, he took the leap himself -- and built @FoodieFlashpacker into a successful food and travel brand.

But on the personal side, Nathan is a warm, funny, and loyal friend. He has a talent for making friends wherever he goes, and so many of us have become friends with each other because of Nathan!

Nathan loves mezcalitas and podcasts and scuba diving and Adele, and he buys an air fryer for every apartment he stays in longer than a month. He committed to improving his Spanish, which has helped him make even more friends in Argentina, Spain, and especially Mexico, where he eventually earned citizenship.

We are deeply grateful for your support, whether in the form of donations, kind words, or prayers, as Nathan faces this difficult chapter.

Please know that his needs will evolve in the coming weeks and months, and we'll keep you updated.

ENSURING CLEAR & HONEST UPDATES ABOUT NATHAN'S RECOVERY:

To Nathan’s Social Media Followers,

I hope you’re all doing well—and thank you so much for everything you’re doing for Nathan! Your updates have become a vital source of information, and I know many people are following and sharing them. That’s a powerful thing.

But with that influence comes a big responsibility. As Nathan’s story reaches more people, it’s critical that we share the full reality of his situation—not just the moments of progress. Otherwise, we risk losing the public’s understanding of how serious his condition still is, and how much support he will continue to need for a very long time.

Yes, Nathan is “walking on his own,” but the truth is—he shouldn’t be (unsupervised). With part of his skull still removed, every step without professional support or a medical grade helmet carries real danger. He remains at serious risk of falls or re-injury without constant supervision and daily, specialized care.

Nathan’s road to recovery will take many months, even years, and he will require three separate types of daily rehabilitation:

1. Physical Therapy

2. Speech Therapy

3. Occupational Therapy

These services must be provided by trained professionals—not just friends or family—and they come at a high financial cost. Most therapists specialize in just one of these areas, so Nathan will likely need multiple therapists each week, if not daily.

My concern is that, while it’s important to share hopeful and positive moments, we must not gloss over the seriousness of what lies ahead. If people start thinking, “he’s better,” they may stop caring. That would be devastating, because he’s not 100% better—he’s just begun a very long and difficult recovery process (while simultaneously surprising all of us during his healing journey).

We have to stay engaged and remain aware of the full picture: Nathan still faces major hurdles, including another major surgery, a medical transport, and without continued support, his access to proper rehabilitation could be at risk.

We owe it to Nathan—and to everyone who wants to help—to be transparent, clear, and honest about what recovery really looks like.