Many of you have seen him at events, sang karaoke alongside him, or become fans of his page "Aventuras Con Papas;" enjoying his laughter, or cheering him on from afar. Papas has become a bit of a hometown celebrity, sharing beers, smiles and games of pool - and believe me, he's enjoyed every minute of it!

It has been nearly 2 years now since we had the pleasure of becoming Papa's main caretakers, and it is with heavy hearts that we have finally admitted to ourselves that we can no longer keep him safe in his home, as his dementia has advanced exponentially in the recent weeks. After doing research and touring thoroughly incredibly depressing facilities and websites, we have found a rather lovely place for him to reside. They feed him delicious meals, do "sing alongs" both on karaoke machines and around a piano, and even allow his dog to come and visit him. They have a lovely garden, a cool old Studebaker parked in the yard, a calming fish tank, and, yes, they even have a pool table.

But all this comes with a steep price tag. $6,500 per month, to be exact. Papas was rich with love, but came to this country with little more than the clothes on his back. We are filing paperwork to get him qualified for community programs, investigating government assistance, and exploring home equity loans - everything in our power - but time is short. Our combined savings is not enough to cover the cost of his care for much longer.

Most of the options being explored take 30-60 days before we even know if his application will be approved. Uncovering all of the documents necessary to proceed has been a chore in and of itself, and if we cannot bridge the gap for his care in the meanwhile, the only option we will have is selling the one thing the family has fought all their lives to protect...their family home. It is the only home all 3 of his children have ever known, and it would devastate him to know that we lost it.

We are crying out to the community for help. Every dollar you can spare will help us protect his legacy. This is not our longterm plan; rather, a short-term solution to carry us through, as we are confident we will qualify for a home equity loan...we just need to make it until the paperwork is processed. The facility caring for Papas even prorates their fees, so even if we don't get our full amount, your kindness will buy us time.



Thank you from the depths of our souls for anything you might be able to spare.

If you would prefer not pay the fees associated with the fundraising site, please feel free to send any amount to:

Juan Romero
4850 Nelson Street
Fremont, CA 94538

Sincerely,
Candace & Juan Romero 
a.k.a. The Baconbits