Hello friends, family, and any other kinds souls that found this page:

My name is Athena Mitchell. I am the oldest daughter of Miguel Espinoza, a man that has worked every day, even through vacations, to support his family.

Our family's lives have been forever changed since January 10th, 2026. My parents were staying in Temecula when my dad started to experience neck, shoulder, and back pain. As the night went on the pain increased and my mom decided to call 911. He was taken in an ambulance and admitted into the hospital. The doctors determined he was having a heart attack! He underwent tests and a procedure where they put 3 stents in his arteries.

His time in the hospital was very uncomfortable and restless. He started experiencing anxiety preventing him from sleeping which his body so desperately needed in order to recuperate.

Being discharged from the hospital meant my dad had to wear a "life vest" for 3 months to monitor his heart at home and administer a jolt if necessary. My parents were so excited to leave the hospital and go home. However, my dad was still experiencing anxiety that kept him from truly resting.

As we were all thinking he was finally on the road to recovery, in the early morning on January 28th, he got up from the couch, tripped, and fell flat on his face. This fall was either triggered by a stroke or resulted in a stroke. We still have no idea to this day. My mom and brother ran downstairs hearing the clatter, my dad was unresponsive. His life vest activated and administered a jolt, waking him up. After getting him to the hospital, they confirmed he had a minor stroke, 2 blood clots, and a small amount of internal head bleeding. For the best, he was again admitted into the hospital.

After keeping a close eye on his internal bleeding, it was determined that a different hospital would be heading his defibrillator procedure. Still not getting much rest and having anxiety about the procedure, my dad came out strong with his new defibrillator! After a few days of being watched over, he was discharged.

But that was not the end of it. It became a cycle: go home, take meds, go to the hospital for a check up, get admitted. My dad had to be admitted once again due to very low blood pressure. His heart was not pumping fast enough causing fluid to collect in his lungs and swelling in his legs. More poking, more prodding, more tests, more sleepless nights. Cycle through once again.

This most recent hospital admittance came with heavy news. In combination with the heart attack and the stroke, it left the entire left side of his heart severely damaged and very weak. Looking at his Ejection Fraction (EF) -the percentage of blood pumped out of the heart's main pumping chamber (left ventricle) with each beat, with a normal range typically between 50-70%. It's a key measure of heart function, and a low EF (below 40%) often indicates heart failure.- His EF is at 20%. His heart is working overtime, just like he always did.

We are waiting eagerly to find out if he will be put on the list for a heart transplant. With your help, we want to make this process easier for him and help provide for him like he has done for us. If you are in a position to lend a helping hand, please consider donating to help my family with upcoming medical bills. Our family has has been strained emotionally, spiritually, and financially but with the support of great friends, family, and strangers we know we will able to pull through.