Please Help Rebuild Alex's Body, and His Life!

Hi, my name is Jim Vlachos, and I'm writing to ask for help to fund critical surgery for my friend Alex.

Alex is 52. He was struck by a fast-moving car in March of 2025. It's a miracle he's still alive, but his injuries are severe: a shattered pelvis, broken coccyx, and broken jaw. And most of his teeth are gone. He's been flat on his back in the hospital for 6 weeks, unable even to turn over. It's going to be a long road to recovery, and without the surgery he needs to reconstruct his pelvis, he will never walk again.

Alex was born in Venezuela, but he grew up in Stamford, Connecticut (speaks native-level English and Spanish). He served as a medic in the U.S. Army and worked in the healthcare field in the U.S. after that, and over the past few years, he taught both English and Spanish in Latin America. He returned to Venezuela last year, where most of his family lives, and despite the dire economic situation there, he was able to find work as a security guard.

On the evening of March 14th, he was struck by a car along the highway as he walked home from his security shift and spent 6 weeks in a hospital in Caracas as a result. But while Venezuela does have government-run hospitals for basic care, the titanium rods and screws needed to reconstruct his pelvis and give him a chance to walk again will cost $5100.

Alex's family are working-class people in a very poor country. They will never be able to afford $5100 USD (which is like a family in the US trying to afford $50,000). Also, Alex will need a lot of rehab in the coming year, and he obviously cannot work during this time, so he will need food and a place to stay while he recovers. This is why we are asking for a total of $10,000, to fund Alex's surgery and rehabilitation, and to afford him food and a place to live while he recovers to the point where he can support himself again. I have personally helped Alex as much as I can so far, and some friends have helped also, but our funds have run out. So, we ask for your help. Any amount you can contribute will go a long way toward getting Alex back on his feet, literally!

This surgery is needed soon, before Alex's injuries become permanent, so Alex doesn't have the luxury of time. Please, contribute whatever you can and know that Alex, his family, and I are grateful for every dollar you can give!