On May 20, 2020, Salvatore Pistone and a friend took a beach buggy ride to the windward side of Cozumel to visit a secluded beach for a swim. As they swam close to shore, a wave swept Sal up and threw him headfirst into the ocean bottom. At this moment, Sal’s life changed in seconds. He was floating face down in the ocean, unable to move and an instant quadriplegic. The force of the impact shattered four vertebrae in his neck. Sal’s injuries are some of the most debilitating spinal injuries affecting his breathing and any movement below the neck.

Despite the impossible odds, Sal fought to stay alive as his friend pulled him back to shore. His fight to survive continued on the beach waiting for medical treatment. The ambulance was unable to make it down the rocky trail to get to him. With the help of his wife, Bonita, and good friends with a jeep they were able to carry him from the shore and endure a harrowing 40-minute drive to the waiting ambulance.

Sal was admitted to the CMC hospital in Cozumel in critical condition. The following day, a highly experienced orthopedic spine surgeon performed an incredibly complicated procedure to clean out bone fragments and fuse his damaged vertebrae. During the operation, the surgeon found that most of Sal’s nerves were severed during the accident. The pressure on his spinal cord from the damaged vertebrae has caused paralysis from the neck down.

Despite the grim prognosis, Sal is full of positivity and hope. He has faced many obstacles in life and has persevered. Sal has a larger-than-life personality and an enviable passion for living despite his paralysis. He has remained conscious and alert throughout this ordeal and although vented through a tracheotomy, he is able to move his lips to communicate with his family and the medical staff.

It will be a very long and difficult road to recovery for Sal. We know that he will fight with all he has to get stronger every day. However, Sal will need extensive rehab and hospital care. The house he shares with his wife in Cozumel will need to be altered, and he will need round-the-clock care. It is possible they may need to find a more adequate home for his specific needs. All these things will cost money immediately and ongoing.

We have established this fund to help pay for medical expenses. Noone wants to ask their family and friends for financial support, but no one could ever plan for the expense of a devastating accident like this. Despite having medical insurance in Mexico, covering Sal’s current and future ongoing medical expenses, after insurance, will be a burden. The massive hospital bill and the expenses for his ongoing care will only further add to this debt.

To our friends, family, friends of friends, to anyone in general who has compassion for our family’s situation, we ask for your help. Even a $5 donation will help ease the strain of this tragic situation. Sal lives life with a true passion for everything he does. He is a man with compassion and empathy for everyone he meets. We ask now that you please show Sal the same compassion.

Thank you all for your continued prayers, please keep them coming. The power of prayer and Sal’s unwavering spirit will guide him on this journey.