About 2 weeks ago, on July 15, I got into a horrible motorcycle accident. I was riding down Auburn Boulevard in the second lane (closest to the median) heading to Kaiser (Riverside) to pick up my medication. A truck unexpectedly came out of a business driveway to merge into ongoing traffic. Instead of merging into the proper lane, the driver swung wide right into the same lane I was in. Right in that moment, everything changed. I hit the clutch, honked the horn, and downshifted, but it was too late. The accident was violent and sent me flying off of my motorcycle into the median.

Strangers rushed over to help and they called 911. I was laying there on the burning asphalt waiting for help to arrive. I remember how hot the road was and asked bystanders to pull me into the shade. Thankfully, the ambulance got there quickly. EMT personnel got me on a gurney, stabilized me, and rushed me to Mercy San Juan Medical Center.

The injuries I sustained from this horrific accident were severe: my pelvis was shattered in four different places, which included breaks in the pubic rami, sacrum, and acetabulum (hip socket). Not only is this injury extremely painful, but it also affects every movement. It is very challenging for me to do normal things like sitting, standing, coughing, or just trying to shift positions in bed.

Additionally, I also suffered an open fracture on my right foot, 2 fractured ribs (which make breathing and speaking challenging), and lacerations on my spleen and my stomach.

Mercy San Juan ortho surgeons did a 5-hour surgery to fix my pelvis in place with plates and pins in different places. The severe trauma to my abdomen led to complications with my stomach and digestive system. The recommendation was that tubes be run down my nasal passage to pump out my stomach contents for 3 days.

After a few days of recovery, I have been moved to Fair Oaks Healthcare Center. I’m currently in a wheelchair and can only stand for brief periods of time to transfer to a bed or a toilet. My main challenge is that I will be discharged here probably next week and I do not have things set up at home such as railing in the shower or near or around the toilet. I’m asking for donations to help with the cost of adding hand rails as well as additional remodeling to my bathrooms, bedroom, and ramps to get in and out of the front door and back door of my house.

Additionally, I really want parallel bars to be put into my pool. This is how I’m gonna teach myself how to walk again. I used aquatic therapy (parallel bars in a pool) to learn how to walk in 2004 when I was hit by a truck while riding a bicycle.

My house is back on payments and I know I’m gonna need to do something to get right with the bank. Fortunately, US Bank has a plan for my home mortgage. My concern is that I’m not gonna be able to work for some time and I’m not gonna be able to make the payments. My kids are returning home and they’re gonna be starting school next month. This is a really hard time for me and any kind of support I can get from my friends and family is extremely appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this and please don’t hesitate to share this with everyone you know. Thank you again and God bless you.