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Handicap Van for Luis

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Dear friends, we have reached our goal! We are so overwhelmed with gratitude. We now have the funds to purchase the wheelchair accessible van for Luis, thank you all for making this possible! Any additional donations will be used for his therapy as Luis does not have any form of insurance and receives no help from anywhere. You are all being so kind and supportive to us, we couldn't be more grateful.

Five and a half years ago my husband had an accident and suffered severe traumatic brain injury. He hit the frontal lobe and right side of his brain, as well as his right lung and his heart. The radius bone came out of his arm exposing him to bacteria.  Because of all this, he couldn’t maintain his vital signs and was resuscitated three times. During his stay in the hospital, he was in a coma for more than twenty days, acquired many nosocomial infections, suffered pneumonia and very high fevers.  One day the hospital told me there wasn’t anything else they could do and send him home in a vegetative persistent state. I took him home and cared for him completely. I changed, bathed and carried him; I learned how to vacuum aspirate his tracheotomy tube and fed him through his gastrostomy tube. He had no expression on his face, he couldn’t move, and he didn’t talk, until one day, two days before our first wedding anniversary he said “My love, I love you”. He is now twenty-nine years old. Presently he is able to move his right arm and leg. His speech is still very limited since he has not received the therapies he requires. Therapies are very much needed for his evolution; however we struggle to find a way to transport him to them. It would be a dream to be able to have a van with a wheelchair lift that would allow us to take him to his therapies.  It would be beneficial for him to be able to go out and be included in life’s everyday moments. Unfortunately, I still haven’t been able to obtain this for him. We have a six year old daughter which I am completely responsible for, I am a home school parent, and work to sustain ourselves. I have never asked for help or support of any kind from others for I’ve felt this situation to be too personal and hard to share. However, everything that he has accomplished to this point has been because of his desire to recover and be well for our family.  Given the appropriate therapies I have the faith he will fully recover. An adequate vehicle to transport him would be of great impact in his life. Before the accident my husband was a very active and athletic man. He was a sweet, affectionate, and responsible husband and father. He was grateful and optimistic each and everyday.  His disability should not limit him from the opportunity to enjoy life. If God allowed my husband to live after all he went through, it must be for an important reason. My husband has been amazingly positive through this process and we are confident that something great will come from this experience. Having a van with a wheelchair lift will allow him to go out and integrate himself to society again. It will give him the opportunity to heal and recover, and we wish nothing more. I thank you with all my heart for taking the time to read and share this.

Organizer and beneficiary

Luis Gustavo Maldonado
Organizer
Chula Vista, CA
Luis Gustavo
Beneficiary

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