February 9 : ORIGINAL POST

On Monday night, February 2, Leo began to feel unwell and was experiencing extremely high blood pressure and severe headaches. His family called 911, and he was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. Multiple MRIs and CT scans were performed, which revealed that Leo had suffered a cerebral stroke.

While awaiting the results of additional testing, Leo began experiencing severe head pain and pressure. Based on the findings of a CT scan, he was moved to the ICU. Shortly thereafter, he stopped breathing and became unresponsive. The medical team immediately intubated him, and a second CT scan led to the decision to perform emergency brain surgery. During the procedure, part of his skull was removed to relieve pressure, and dead tissue was removed from the lower left portion of his cerebellum. The doctors explained that this surgery was necessary to prevent a more severe secondary stroke, however, upon further testing, the CT scan showed he had 2 possible strokes.

Leo is now beginning the process of recovery and rehabilitation. While the road ahead is still unfolding, his family remains faithfully by his side every step of the way. We are standing firm in faith, trusting God as our miraculous Healer—greater than any diagnosis, scan, or procedure—and believing fully in His healing and restoration.

The family is deeply encouraged by the prayers surrounding them and is profoundly grateful for a community that not only prays faithfully, but also steps forward with tangible support in times of need.

As with any sudden medical crisis, there are significant and unexpected financial challenges. In addition to out-of-pocket medical expenses, there is loss of income during recovery, rehabilitation and therapy costs, and ongoing care needs that will continue in the months ahead.

This GoFundMe has been created to help ease these financial burdens so the family can focus fully on Leo’s healing and recovery. For those who prefer, tax-deductible donations may also be made through Coast City Church at https://coastcitychurch.churchcenter.com/giving/to/miscellaneous, with 100% of all gifts going directly to the Barajas family. To designate the funds, givers must "add a memo" and write in, "Leo and Melissa Barajas".

If you feel led to give, any amount is deeply appreciated and will make a meaningful difference. If you’re unable to give financially, please continue to lift Leo and his family up in prayer and consider sharing this page.

Thank you for being part of a prayerful, generous, and loving community. Your support—both spiritual and practical—is a true reflection of Christ’s love in action.

“Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” — 1 John 3:18

February 11- Update on Leo

From Melissa:

Thank you all for your continued prayers, messages, meals, food contributions, and financial support during this difficult season. We truly appreciate the love and support surrounding our family, and we remain hopeful and prayerful for Leo’s full recovery.

I am very grateful to everyone who has been asking what I need during this time. I’m still a bit overwhelmed and trying to figure things out moment by moment, but please know how much I appreciate the kindness and care. I will keep in contact as we move forward.

Today marks day 10 Leo is still in the ICU. His stroke affected the brainstem and the left cerebrum, and he is continuing to work toward stabilization. Right now, the primary focus is controlling and lowering his blood pressure.

Because he has not yet been able to swallow safely, the medical team is placing a PEG tube today to provide nutrition and medications. This is an important step in supporting his recovery and strength.

He continues to have an intermittent fever and elevated sodium levels, which are being closely monitored. The team is also watching swelling and prior cranium-related concerns affecting his eye. Reducing the swelling is essential for healing related to the cranial nerve involvement.

Leo is evaluated daily by his physicians and neurologists. He is also receiving physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and speech therapy as part of his care plan. To help protect his lungs and reduce the risk of pneumonia, he is using the incentive spirometer every two hours, which helps expand the lungs and prevent fluid buildup.

At this time, the deficits we know of include cranial nerve involvement affecting his eye, slurred speech on the left side, and frequent hiccups. He has not yet been out of bed much, so we do not have a clear picture of mobility or walking yet. He spends much of the day resting with his eyes closed and experiences dizziness when they are open.

The best-case recovery estimate is:

• Approximately 3–4 more days in the ICU

• About 1 week in a telemetry unit for cardiac monitoring

• A few additional days on a medical-surgical floor

• A minimum of 3 weeks in acute inpatient rehabilitation

After that, we are hopeful for a return home with continued in-home care and therapy.

We continue to take things day by day with faith, hope, and gratitude for all of your support.

February 13 -Update on Leo

Today marks day 12 of Leo’s hospital stay, and he has taken a difficult turn. We are still unsure what is happening and are currently waiting for MRI results.

One of the effects of the stroke is that Leo has been unable to swallow. To ensure he receives proper nutrition, a PEG tube was inserted into his abdomen. On the evening of February 11, the medical team began providing nutrition and medication through the PEG tube. The following day was spent monitoring how his body tolerated and digested what he was receiving.

By February 13, there were clear signs that Leo was declining. He was unable to participate in physical therapy. His speech has noticeably worsened, and it is taking him longer to recognize certain people. At one point, he was even unable to remember his daughter’s name. He is also experiencing significant pain.

Please continue to pray for healing, and for the doctors and nurses caring for him — that they remain diligent, attentive, and guided in every decision as they seek the best course of care for Leo. We are specifically praying for his transfer to a Level 1 Trauma Hospital so he can receive the specialized care needed for his brain stem injury.

February 14: Update

Quick update after meeting with the doctor, specialists, and nursing leadership:

Regarding Leo’s decline yesterday, they explained that this was due to cognitive fatigue. When he becomes extremely tired, his brain also becomes fatigued, which can temporarily affect memory, speech, and alertness. This is very common during stroke recovery.

Since nutrition has been provided through the PEG tube, his digestion appears to be progressing well. Today they are monitoring for the digestive system to fully function normally.

They are adjusting his care plan to keep him comfortable and support recovery:

• Hiccup medication has been increased for better control

• Daily oral care/hygiene to reduce infection risk and improve comfort

• Breathing treatments will be done when he is awake and able to participate

Weekend plan: Rest and quiet healing time.

For the weekend, we will be pausing visitors. The care team has specifically requested a very calm, quiet environment with no conversation in the room so he can rest and avoid overstimulation. One of us will be with him at a time to keep things peaceful and consistent.

Looking ahead to Monday:

The plan is for him to begin more focused therapy work. They are also planning to move him to the One North area near Acute Rehab, where he can be monitored more closely while continuing the next phase of recovery.

We continue to advocate strongly for the best possible care while also actively exploring options for transfer.

February 17 : Update

There is still so much that is unknown in Leo’s recovery. Each day brings new challenges. Right now, the focus is on getting him stable so he can move forward with rehab.

On 2/17, Leo was moved to the One North unit of the hospital, which is in the same area as Acute Rehab. The move was made so he can be monitored more closely and begin a more consistent schedule with physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and speech therapy.

Once Leo transitions to the rehab unit, we will open things up to more visitors. Thank you so much for your understanding and continued support.

Prayer Requests

That Leo receives the care and consistency he needs in this unit to progress toward rehab

Continued progress with filing Leo’s disability income and resolving any potential fraud concerns

Praise Report

Our roof, which started leaking yesterday, is currently covered with a tarp - a huge blessing and relief!

Thank you all for your prayers, encouragement, and support. We truly feel surrounded by love during this season.

Feb 21: Update

Leo made some big strides forward today! We are so encouraged and incredibly proud of him for working so hard, pushing through the nausea and dizziness caused by the area affected by the second stroke, and walking for the first time since his surgery. He has even started taking a few steps with a walker and assistance, which is very encouraging.

In a few days, he will be transferred to the hospital’s Acute Rehab Unit. He has been approved for acute rehabilitation, where he will receive intensive therapy twice daily, including Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy. This is such an encouraging and important next step in his recovery journey.

He is expected to be in acute rehab for 2–4 weeks. Once he's admitted, the team will complete a four-day evaluation, which will give us a clearer understanding of the anticipated timeline. We know this will be a long recovery, but we are staying hopeful and taking it one step at a time.

He will remain on PEG feeding for the next few months. One of his biggest challenges right now is staying alert, as he still struggles to keep his eyes open. At the same time, his memory remains sharp, and his speech continues to improve. We are grateful for every bit of progress and continue praying for a full recovery.

As part of the approval process, Melissa has been working diligently to prepare things at home — including moving her bedroom downstairs and switching with BB — to ensure Leo has a safe and comfortable space to continue his recovery after he leaves the hospital.

Thank you all for the incredible love, prayers, and support you’ve shown throughout this journey. The family feels so blessed to be surrounded by such a caring and supportive community.

February 24 - Update on Leo:

Physical therapy (PT) went very well today. Leo walked to the wall and back, completed step-ups, and rode the bike for a strong four minutes, continuing to a total time of 6:38. He took a short break but remained motivated and eager to continue.

During the session, Leo reported feeling okay overall. He walked more than halfway back to his room, took a brief seated rest, then stood and continued walking. There was no vomiting during therapy.

Overall, it was a very productive PT session. A nausea patch placed behind his ear was initiated yesterday.

Occupational Therapy (OT) Focus:

Vision testing, writing tasks, number matching, and memory exercises involving words and sentences.

Leo’s demeanor today was very quiet and fatigued. He experienced difficulty remembering events from both today and yesterday.

Prayer Request:

Please keep the prayers coming, that Leo’s pain and nausea would subside and that he would be able to complete the necessary therapy as he continues progressing toward a full recovery. Please also pray that Melissa is filled with an overwhelming sense of peace and strength as she supports Leo while he works hard to rebuild strength and relearn the everyday things we often take for granted.