Smiles during hardships
Parents of 16-year-old stroke victim get community support
Golden Valley High School student Jesus Ortiz suffered a stroke in November that left the 16-year-old bedridden in a hospital and unable to speak or move.
His family was unsure how to pay for his recovery. The extensive brain damage he had suffered was going to be costly, between all the surgeries and the needed physical therapy.
His mother Amzi Salinas stayed by her son’s side at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center as he came out of the
coma, but still could not respond. She worried whether he was going to ever be back to his old self. She also worried about paying the bills. Her husband was the only one working full-time since she quit working to take care of Jesus, and they had two toddlers in addition to their sick son.
The Ortiz family was waiting for a miracle, whether it be prayers or financing.
On Monday, Salinas drove home from taking care of Jesus to a surprise: the family had received a $10,000 check from an anonymous donor.
“Ten thousand dollars,” Salinas said as she stood in their Canyon Country home, shocked as she turned the envelope over to see the amount. “We are so happy, thank you. Oh my God, yeah. Yeah, it’s good!”
The donor operates a Santa Clarita business and wishes to remain anonymous.
“We want to challenge the community to step forward when they see someone in need,” the donor said on the phone. “We want to set an example. Those of us who are fortunate to have what we need, need to look around sometimes to see who needs their help.”
Jesus is making progress, Salinas said. He can now wiggle his finger, a month after suffering the stroke, and had surgery Saturday to get a tube installed in his stomach for proper draining. In two more weeks, he will undergo surgery to remove blood clots and repair burst veins.
He still sleeps a lot and cannot speak, but he seems to be coming along on the road to recovery, she said.
“It’s a big change,” she said. “It’s not very high, but it’s still good. It’s comforting to have this money. It’s so expensive, but it will help. Of course.”
The Ortiz family does not speak English very well, but Salinas said she hopes her message can still go out to the community.
“I do not lose hope that my son will recover,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page set up to support her son. “If you can not help me financially with something, do not feel bad. I only ask you to raise a small prayer to God and ask for my son Jesus to recover. You can also help by sharing this campaign with your friends to see if they can help. Thank you for your prayers and blessings.”
The GoFundMe page is available at www.gofundme.com/come-back-withus-jesusito-jesus-ortiz-salinas.
“We want to challenge the community to step forward when they see someone in need. We want to set an example. Those of us who are fortunate to have what we need, need to look around sometimes to see who needs their help.” An anonymous donor