Raul's Motorcycle Accident
Cliff Notes-
I'm writing this on behalf of our dear friend, Raul Saenz. On Monday the 21st, in the early evening, Raul was involved in a motorcycle accident that lead to his hospitalization, and then prompt medevac to El Paso. The intent of this fundraiser is to help pay for his medical bills and supplement some cost of living as he will not be able to work for quite some time.
The Story-
Raul and I (Chase) were heading back from a quick ride out to Elephant Ranch when he hit a rough patch of road mid turn that he could not recover from. In just the blink of an eye, Raul found himself tumbling across nearly 20 yards of West Texas terrain, and I was left looking at a plume of dirt in my rearview mirror and then, the sinking feeling that came with the knowledge that my buddy was no longer following me. I rushed back to find Raul making his way to his feet -*sigh of relief, but still in a bit of a crumpled mess. Thankfully, a passerby noticed the wreckage on the side of the road and stopped to lend assistance in the form of a quick transport to Big Bend Regional.
Though none of Raul's injuries were life-threatening, thank God, he is still in very rough shape and won't be able to work, drive, or do much of anything really for quite some time. He has road rash across his lower back and leg, a wicked broken left wrist, dislocated right shoulder with torn ligaments, broken clavicle, and a sprained ankle. Big Bend was able to get his pain as under control, and I quote the doctor when I say, "get his wrist back in the same zip code". They quickly realized that they did not have the specialists needed to address his needs properly and called for a medevac to take him to UMC in El Paso. There he would undergo nearly 8 hours of surgery on his wrist and shoulder, receive two plates, and learn just how long his road to recovery would be.
Conclusion-
Raul is very lucky and very grateful to be here, but he is also left in an unfortunate situation. Currently, he can't feed himself and he won't be able to drive for at least 6 weeks, so as you might imagine, working is out of the question. Raul is a contagiously joyful and giving person with dimples that both melt hearts and ice. He would do anything for a friend at a moment's notice and could charm a fish from water. If you have had the pleasure of meeting him I can almost guarantee that he has put a smile on your face and has likely bought you a drink...or maybe even one too many. If you are able, please help our friend recover to his fullest and get back to his loving and joyful self.
A Note-
We all know there is an inherent risk to riding motorcycles that we accept by hopping on them. However, for those that might ask or be wondering, I would note that he was wearing a helmet, pants, jacket, gloves, and boots. Alcohol was not a factor, nor was it a part of our day, and he was not riding recklessly.
