Support Ambrosio Bernal's Emergency Surgery and Recovery

*************UPDATE**************

Hi everyone,

As I sit here with a mix of emotions, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank each and every one of you who has reached out, donated, or called to check on our father, Chito. The last few days have been some of the most stressful and terrifying of our lives, especially since the accident occurred in Ensenada, Baja California, a place we’re unfamiliar with. Our father wasn’t receiving the critical care he needed under the universal healthcare system there, and we had no say in where he was taken. He was left on a bed with no treatment, not even a neck brace, despite just having been in a car accident. Seeing him in that condition, we knew we had to get him out of there immediately, or we could lose him.

The reason why we could have lost him was because we were told our father had come dangerously close to a spinal cord decapitation. He was very close to death at the time of the accident. His risk of death continued to increase because he was not receiving the urgent medical care he needed.

After a frantic search, we found a hospital closer to the border in Tijuana. This was no easy task, but by the grace of God, I connected with a friend who is a neurosurgeon at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. He reached out to one of his colleagues, who referred us to Dr. Oscar Montes in Tijuana—a true angel in this situation. On Wednesday night, after reviewing the imaging results, Dr. Montes personally called us with the diagnosis and confirmed what we feared: our father needed emergency surgery. He helped facilitate the transfer to a private hospital, Centro Médico Florence, in Tijuana, and even got the hospital’s approval for the transfer. It’s important to note that in private hospitals here, every service is paid out-of-pocket upfront.

We finally got our father to the hospital at 2 AM on Thursday, where a full medical team was waiting to start his treatment. Dr. Montes arrived at 6 AM and explained the gravity of the situation—this was a high-risk surgery, but it was our only option. Without it, we would lose him. The surgery lasted four hours, and thankfully, it went well. He is now in recovery.

Our father has since been moved to his own room, and we can now spend more time with him. His recovery has begun, and they’ve started some therapy, but the road ahead is uncertain. Our father will be in a wheelchair and will need 24-hour care as part of his ongoing recovery. We will be by his side every step of the way.

Our father, Chito, also wants to personally thank everyone for all the donations and support you have shown our family during this time. It’s hard for him to accept this kind of help, but he knows it’s needed, and he deeply appreciates it.

Once again, thank you so much to everyone who shared, donated, and prayed for our father. It has been incredible to see how our community has come together during this difficult time.

As we now face the long journey of recovery, I ask for one more favor: if anyone knows someone who can help us find an apartment or home near the hospital, it would be deeply appreciated. We will need a place to stay once he is discharged so we can assist him with his recovery.

Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

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Hello everyone,

I'm starting this to ask for help for my father, Ambrosio Bernal (known as Chito). Two days ago he was a passenger in a rollover accident in which the vehicle left the roadway down an hill.

He suffered serious injuries to his spine, and the doctors advised this could lead to him being paralyzed. He will be having emergency surgery done which is very high risk. The outcome of the surgery will determine the next steps.

Any help would be appreciated, or prayers honestly.

For those of you that got to know my father, you know he is one of the nicest and most generous people you'll ever meet. So I am asking for your help on his behalf, and me and my family thank you in advance for your help during this difficult time.