
My little brother Noel needs help
Donation protected
My little brother, Noel, had a freak accident. This type of accident is rare when surfing but he ended up hitting his head on the bottom. It's pretty scary to think about what could have been. Right after it happened, he was face down and drowning. Unable to move, unable to help himself. As he laid there for over a minute, he said he came to peace with it. After holding his breath for almost 2 minutes, he was ready to die. At that very moment, someone grabbed him and turned him over. The guardian angel who came to his rescue struggled to lift him up. He also didn't know Noel was still alive and conscious but couldn't move. Once his head came up, he took a much-needed breath. I'm guessing he told his angel the situation at this point.
Soon, 4 other guys came running and helped get Noel out of the water. At this point, they had called an ambulance. While waiting for 15 minutes, he laid there thinking he would never move again. He couldn't feel his feet, his arms, his body. By the grace of God, he started to get some feeling back in his toes and as he wiggled them, he asked one of his rescuers, "hey, am I moving my toes"? With a big smile, he replied, "yes". Soon after, Noel started to get feeling back in his arms. What a relief. I was almost without a brother today or one that would have been paralyzed from the neck down.
But now, Noel is in the hospital and is looking at some major expenses. One of which is yet to come. It turns out he broke his neck and herniated a disc, but luckily, didn't sever his spinal cord. He will be undergoing surgery to shave the bones and disc to alleviate the pressure. The doctor says at this point, any other injury could result in paralysis and something as simple as sneezing could have tremendous consequences.
As you know, with COVID, many aren't working. Noel does not have a job, does not have insurance, and does not have much of a savings. He will need help with this one. Our family will do everything we can, but if you have it in your heart, please help Noel. If you know him, you know he is one of the most generous people on earth. Having so little, he often gives so much. He was against the idea of this GoFundMe but he can''t do everything alone. He needs his friends.
All in all, we are very lucky. It could have ended in so many worse ways. I'm just thankful he is alive and grateful that he can still move.
Organizer
Thomas Ye
Organizer
La Palma, CA