On May 3rd, my brother, Erik Gonzalez, suffered a serious traumatic injury during the 5 Borough Bike Tour in New York. What began as a day centered around community and endurance quickly became a life-changing medical emergency for our family.

Erik suffered a fractured skull and required emergency medical care. Thankfully, he is now conscious and recovering at home. However, his recovery will be long, painful, and physically and emotionally demanding.

At this time, Erik is unable to return to normal daily activities and still requires significant support and supervision. He continues to experience pain and limitations from his injury, and even simple tasks such as eating remain difficult, as he is still unable to properly chew food.

As his sister, I am organizing this fundraiser on his behalf so our family can better manage and track support for his recovery during this difficult time. Since Erik is currently focused on healing and should not be managing finances, messages, or payment applications while recovering from a fractured skull, we decided that using a GoFundMe would be the clearest and most organized way to help support him and keep track of donations.

All donations will go directly toward Erik’s recovery expenses, including:

• Medical copays and bills not covered by insurance

• Medications and follow-up care

• Orthopedic and recovery equipment

• Transportation to medical appointments

• Ice packs, vitamins, oral hydration/electrolyte drinks, and nutritional support

• Daily living expenses during his recovery period

No donation is too small, and even simply sharing this fundraiser means more to us than words can express.

Most importantly, we want to thank everyone who has supported Erik and our family through your prayers, messages, calls, kindness, and encouragement. The love and compassion we have received during this difficult time have truly carried us through some very heavy days.

Thank you for helping Erik focus on what matters most right now: healing and recovery.

With gratitude,

Rocio Gonzalez