Hello everyone! Friends, family, our community.

My name is Linnea, and I'm writing to you today as a close family friend of the Bustamantes to humbly ask for your help.

Emilio has recently undergone brain surgery to have an AVM (arteriovenous malformation) removed. The surgery was successful, but resulted in a stroke that rendered him largely unable to speak, and to experience great difficulty writing. His parents have already incurred large expenses in order to stay close by to his hospital to be there for him through the surgery and recovery, and as he will now need extensive and intensive speech therapy as an inpatient, they will incur more costs to get him the treatment he requires. He may also require another brain surgery in the near future.

Emilio is just 20 years old. There is hope for him to recover his speech with time and effort, and even through all of these stresses, tests and extreme changes, he has remained positive, happy, and thankful. He has been endlessly patient with me and his loved ones as we struggle to communicate, and is putting in so much work already into recovery.

Any form of support is welcome and appreciated, be it through donations, support through prayer, well-wishes to Emilio and his family, or even just the sharing of this fundraiser. Your help will give Emilio the best chance he can have to recover well, and will ease the burden on his parents and sisters so greatly. I love these people with all of my heart— they are my family too, though we're not blood-related. I am sure many of you out there feel the same way; they are so deserving of any kindness you can offer.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and please consider supporting the Bustamantes in this, their greatest time of need.

God bless you.