Help Rafael & Mindy See Their Way
through Nail in the Eye

Rally with family, friends, coworkers, and donors to help a wonderful, hardworking family see their way through unexpected and accumulating expenses due to a severe eye injury that will require multiple surgeries and follow-up appointments at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, MN.

 “We are at the start line of a marathon and we are ready to run this thing and finish it, no matter what it takes.”  Mindy

 Funds will help with:
·      medical bills
·      expensive eye drops and medical supplies
·      transportation, lodging, and childcare while receiving medical care at the Mayo Clinic.

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On Monday, December 19, Rafael suffered severe injury to his left eye. He was using a table saw to cut a board. The saw caught a nail and kicked it—head first—directly into the center of Rafael's left eye.

Upon a quick examination of the eye, the ER doctor at a small local hospital determined his eye was "open"—meaning there was a laceration to the cornea, the windshield of the eye, and if it were to remain open, there is basically a guarantee of acquiring an infection that could increase the damage to the eye, cause death of the eye, or spread systemically in the body, wreaking havoc throughout.

Rafael and Mindy were referred to Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester. After a few very thorough examinations by two different doctors, it was determined that Rafael's eye was indeed “open” and would need to be closed. Other damage they were able to see in these exams was destruction of the iris (the color of the eye) and also the lens, which is what the eye uses to focus images. Without the lens, there is no useful vision. At this time, Rafael can see light and shadows close up in the injured eye.

Emergency surgery was performed to close the laceration to the cornea and, together. Rafael and Mindy spent four long days in and out of the hospital and hotel rooms in Rochester. They are at a critical point in assuring stabilization of the eye. Inflammation and eye pressure were of high concern on day three. With several very painful treatments, the doctors were able to stabilize it by day four. On day five, they felt comfortable with letting Rafael and Mindy return home for the weekend to celebrate Christmas with family.

However, the eye can't stay as it is due to the inflammation caused by the damaged lens and all of the debris from the inner workings of the eye that, for lack of better words, exploded on impact. They returned to Mayo on Monday, Dec. 26th for surgery to remove the lens and debris on Dec. 27th.  Additionally, the surgeon discovered that the nail dragged pieces of lens and iris through the eye. They also found tears in the retina. A gas-filled bubble was placed in the eye to hold the retina in place and to maintain shape of the eye.

It is unclear when or if restorative surgery will happen. It all depends how the first surgeries go with damage and infection control. In order to replace the lens and restore vision, the eye will have to be completely stable: no inflammation, no high/low pressure, no infection. This will entail regular and diligent supervision of the eye at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, which is approximately one and a half hours from their home. Early on, the doctors said they will all be seeing a lot of each other over the next 6-12 months.

As Mindy gratefully states, “I don’t know if there are words in the human language to express our thanks and gratitude to these world renowned experts for taking this task on. We are at the start line of a marathon and we are ready to run this thing and finish it, no matter what it takes.”


Rafael and Mindy are good people who have given to others. Rafael served in the Marine Corps for 5 years and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He worked with Air Crew Life Support Systems and was recognized multiple times for exemplary meritorious service, concluding his service at the rank of Sergeant. He continues to serve our country as he is currently employed by Homeland Security at Twin Cities International Airport. Mindy works at a residential hospice in the Twin Cities as a Certified Nursing Assistant and is working on a nursing degree. Both are deeply involved in raising their three children.



Please help Rafael and Mindy with the unexpected and costly expenses associated with Rafael’s eye injury. Funds will go to help with medical bills; expensive eye drops and medical supplies; and transportation, lodging, and childcare while receiving medical care at the Mayo Clinic. They are most grateful for your kind support of donations and well wishes. Thank you!