Hi everyone, I’m creating this GoFundMe for my brother Derek Hernandez. This past Wednesday, he was violently assaulted in Hillcrest, San Diego in an unprovoked attack by a homeless man. He was punched in the face twice, causing him to fall hard onto the ground and scrape the side of his face and arm. The impact instantly knocked out one of his teeth and fractured three others, causing them to become lodged into the roof of his mouth. He also suffered a severe lip laceration along with multiple facial injuries.

He spent two days in the hospital and had to undergo a very painful bedside debridement procedure under only local anesthesia. The medical team forcefully repositioned his displaced teeth, placed a temporary splint across his upper teeth, and repaired his lip. After meeting with an oral surgeon, we learned that the three fractured teeth cannot be saved and will have to be extracted and replaced with implants. His next surgery is scheduled for Tuesday to begin that process.

Even with help from the state and insurance, the out-of-pocket costs for surgeries, follow-up visits, medications, and continued treatment are overwhelming. On top of the medical and dental bills, he has missed some time at work, causing additional financial strain.

I’m setting up this GoFundMe to help ease some of the financial burden so he can focus on healing physically and emotionally from this traumatic experience. Any donation, no matter the amount, or even sharing this page, would mean so much to us.

We’re also sharing this experience in hopes of raising awareness. Incidents like this are becoming increasingly common, not just in San Diego but in communities everywhere. We hope that by speaking out, we can help warn others about the potential dangers and encourage people to take extra caution at all times, for themselves and each other while out in public.

Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and support during this extremely difficult time. Our family truly appreciates it.