Main fundraiser photo

Aaron Garcia's Medical Journey

Donation protected
On September 6, 2015, Aaron Garcia (AJ), a strong and healthy 27 year old was hanging out with his parents when he started complaining about a headache. He went to lay down and rest and while walking to the room he fainted, becoming unresponsive. He was rushed to the Santa Fe ER and diagnosed with Rhabdomyolysis, Strep Pneumonia, Encephalitis and viral Meningitis and immediately placed on life support. The prognosis was grim; all our family and friends were blown away at how this could happen! His body was so sick and fragile that doctors had to place him in a medically induced coma.

During the next couple of days his kidneys and heart began to become very stressed and his lungs collapsed multiple times. A wonderful and caring doctor did some extensive research and found a transportable ECMO  machine that could possibly save his life by pumping his blood for him so his heart and lungs could rest and heal. In an AMAZING effort by so many, an ECMO machine was located and flown in from Arkansas (Santa Fe did not have one) and a specialized trauma team from four different states were able to successfully transport him to Baylor University Hospital in Dallas, Texas on September 16, for more advanced treatment.

The surgery performed to get him on the ECMO machine in Santa Fe was a first at Christus St. Vincent Hospital and Aaron made history!

Today, September 20, Aaron is stable, but remains in ICU on life support. Doctors have a positive outlook for him, but he has an extremely long journey ahead of him. Doctors predict he’ll have some short term memory loss and extreme muscle atrophy that will involve extensive physically therapy in order to walk and function normally again. The medical bills, travel for our family, and extensive rehab is expensive, and Aaron and his family have so much more to worry about.

Please donate whatever you can afford. You can provide a one-time donation or set up a monthly donation. All the money will be used to help with his medical care and his journey to recovery. Our family is forever grateful for your generosity!

Everybody can't wait to see Aaron getting better, healing and regaining his strength so we all can enjoy his funny jokes, see him rooting for the Colts  and cooking up some of his mom’s delicious recipes!

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and support for Aaron, our son, brother, boyfriend, cousin, nephew, uncle and friend! We hope you never have to go through an experience like this, but if you do, we hope you have a support system as generous as you all are. Thank you!!

For those wishing to donate directly to a bank by cash or check, you can do so by mailing a check or dropping off money at any NM State Employees Credit Union branches:

State Employees Credit Union
C/O Aaron Garcia Fund

 813 St. Michael’s Dr.
Santa Fe, NM 87505

 4920 Promenade Blvd
Santa Fe, NM 87507

 3451 Candelaria NE
Albuquerque, NM 87107

 7851 Enchanted Hills
Rio Rancho, NM 87144
Donate

Donations 

  • Angel Lucero
    • $250 
    • 8 yrs
Donate

Organizer and beneficiary

Nicole Duran
Organizer
Santa Fe, NM
Jeanette Garcia
Beneficiary
  • Other

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.