
Please help Jose (Big Daddy) with medical bills
Donation protected
Jose “Big Daddy” Avendano was born on September 14, 1985 in Managua, Nicaragua. At the very young age of three, his family decided that freeing the Sandinista leadership was a necessity because his father was going to become a political target. Coordinated with the US Govt., the Avendano family claimed political asylum and started their new journey into the USA. As a young boy, Jose understood that his family had their backs against the wall and fighting for survival was embedded into their blood. I can’t say Jose has always been a saint, but when he turned 17 and got his girlfriend pregnant, his life completely changed. Jose Jr. became his pride and joy and right then and there his focus changed; he was driven to put in the hours, whether it was at home or at work, in order to provide for his family.
I met one of Jose’s older brothers in 2008 and was introduced into the concrete business. For me, falling in love with concrete is only comparable to meeting the love of your life. I know it sounds hokey, but it is true. After working with Jose’s older brother for about two years, we went our separate ways and at some point, Jose reached out to me for work. I kind of knew this would happen, or at least dreamed it would. From that day forward, it was really Jose and I against the concrete world.
Looking back over the past twelve years, I am truly in awe over how dedicated and loyal of a human being Jose is. We have gone through good jobs, stressful jobs, fun jobs, jobs we hated and everything in between. We always managed to do it with a smile and never forgot to laugh, drink, eat well and enjoy the ride.
On July 10th, 2022, Jose was having trouble catching his breath and felt like his heart was jumping out of his chest, so he drove himself to the hospital. After the medical decision was made to “restart “his heart with a defibrillator, Jose threw a clot to his brain and subsequently had a stroke. Jose is 37 years old. To say this was a shock is an understatement.
As of today, July 19, 2022, Jose is in the ICU in stable condition. He is on a breathing machine and has paralysis in half his body. His wife and family members have been rotating around the clock, never leaving his side, just like he would do for his friends and family. Time will only tell how Jose recovers from this, but what we do know is that it is going to take a village of support and, unfortunately, money. I am writing this to ask everyone I know to pitch in. Every small donation will go a long way.
Organizer and beneficiary
Derek Shambora
Organizer
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Raquel Avendano
Beneficiary