Hero who battled pit bulls still faces big medical bills
Just three weeks after he stepped in to save two people from being mauled by pit bulls, Victor Torres was named Hero of the Year for the American Red Cross Northeastern California Chapter.
“The event was awesome. Luckily, I didn’t have to say anything, because I was pretty nervous,” Torres said. “But hearing all of the other people’s stories was great. It was just an honor to be among so many heroes.”
Torres had family and friends with him to share in the ceremony at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico on Wednesday night. His close friend, Alex Valdez Sr., was one of the people who submitted Torres’ name to the American Red Cross for consideration.
“The Torres family and I were caught in the emotion of that moment,” Valdez said. “We truly are blessed to live in this Yuba-Sutter community among such supportive individuals.”
Since the attack, Torres has experienced a whirlwind of emotions – from pain to joy, and everything in between. He said his arm is starting to feel better, which is a good sign he will regain 100 percent feeling in his pinky. Initially, he thought he would never get that feeling back.
“It feels like everything is going in the right direction. I’d say I have about 30-40 percent feeling in my pinky. It’s a lot better than it was before. I can move it around, but it’s still kind of curled up and rigid,” Torres said.
But permanent nerve damage is only one concern. The other is his growing medical bills. The Linda resident is struggling to pay for his treatment because he doesn’t have health insurance.
He has only received one bill – for $4,500 – so far for his initial emergency room visit the night of the attack on June 6 near the Simpson Lane bridge. He is still waiting to see how much it will cost him for the three-night stay while he was being evaluated for his injuries.
A GoFundMe campaign was set up for Torres with the goal set at $8,000. As of Friday, 83 people have contributed, resulting in about 81 percent of the goal being reached.
“We are pretty close to our goal, but we haven’t met it yet. I’m hoping we will get there, because it looks like I’ll need as much help as I can get,” Torres said.
Torres, a truck driver, had to take time off work to heal. He returned to work June 26 but on “light duty.”
He said he’s happy to be back at work and to be honored as a local hero, though he doesn’t see himself as one.
“I’m still thinking I’m not really a hero. All of the other people mentioned during the ceremony are the real heroes, but it was a nice experience. My mom really liked it,” Torres said.
He is ready to put the incident behind him. Even though he doesn’t see himself as a hero, he hopes he can be a role model to others in the Yuba-Sutter area.
“I just hope a story like mine would inspire other people from around our community to do the right thing,” he said.
For more information about Torres, or to donate, visit www.gofundme.com/victor-torresmedical-fund.