Hi, Chap and Lauren Gary here! For those who don't know us, we are owners of EdenScapes Landscape and Chap is a worship leader at our local church in Lafayette, LA. We're starting a fundraiser for a dear and long-time friend, Antonio Gamez (not pictured per his request for several reasons). He lives in our town with his sweet wife and 2 daughters. We've known them for over 10 years. They are from Mexico. He and his wife don't speak English, but his daughter translates for him. They have no insurance.

I am not sure how much medical info to divulge, but I want to paint a picture of the dire need he's in so that we can help fund travel and surgeries for him; so, I will share in detail. He was born with a club foot that was left untreated. Last year, he broke his foot. I've gone with him to an Ortho MD in town and seen the x-rays. His foot is now deformed and he'll need reconstructive surgery to use it again. The strain from this has caused bilateral menisci tears in his knees. For those of you who have had these tears, you know how excruciatingly painful it is. He's endured this pain for a year now with only OTC medicine. The charity doctor that he chose to see in Baton Rouge has given him plasma injections instead of outpatient surgery for the knees. The injections have not helped much. He now has sciatica as well.

On top of the leg pain, his shoulders are shot from having used crutches for so long (he now has a walker), and he can't lift his arms past 90 degrees. He has also received multiple iron injections because his hemoglobin has been low. He currently has arthritis, too. All of these things have resigned him to a wheelchair.

Chap and I have visited them and seen his state of unrelenting pain. As a former OT, I've shown them stretches, gotten him multiple items to increase his range of motion, as well as adaptive equipment. They saw PT in the past but can't afford it long-term. We, our company, employees, church, family, and friends have helped them with food, money, and more throughout this year. His wife and daughter clean our offices, and she does some other cleaning to pay bills, but she is needed to take care of her husband so she can't work full time. I state all of this to show how much need they've been in.

Because of not getting anywhere here and the high fees, they plan to send Antonio back to his home city in Mexico in a month where the surgeries will be half the price. For those of you who frequent MX, you know that medicine is easier to obtain and much cheaper, too. They are asking for help to raise $15,000 for knee and foot surgeries, and he'll need rehab. I've added $1,000 for travel. His girls plan to meet him in May after one graduates high school here.

If you need housekeeping, I know they would appreciate the work as they'll need to pay bills this spring. Honestly, they need much more than this for the girls travel in May, but surgery is priority.

The Gamez family is kind, very humble, sincere and helpful. My heart breaks to see someone in this much pain, and in a land of plenty, to still not receive the care he needs. I would have probably made different medical decisions, but it wasn't my place to interfere. We have agreed to help raise money for him to return home and receive help the way they choose. I'm confident we can meet this goal within a month.

If you have further questions, please reach out to Chap or I and we can share more.

Please pray and if you feel led to help, they would be extremely grateful.

Thanks and God Bless!

Chap and Lauren Gary