Al Velasco

Background:  On July 10th a car ran a stop sign and t-boned mom and dad's car.  Mom was taken to NIMC. She has a broken hand, received staples for a head laceration, and has bruised ribs. She has been released and saw and orthopedic today. Thankfully she does not require surgery. The break is on her baby finger. A cast was made for her and she is good to go. She will see her family doctor on Friday for a general exam. She is sore with lots of bruising but doing as well as can be expected. She is so tough...I am amazed.


Dad was taken to NIMC by ambulance also but it was quickly realized that he needed an advanced level of care and he was air-lifted to Condell Hospital. He was found to have a tear in his aorta and went to surgery immediately to repair the tear. Thankfully the surgery was a success.  


Unfortunately, he has multiple additional injuries. He has multiple broken ribs and multiple pelvic fractures. His left kidney is injured and his left lung is also not functioning properly due to the broken ribs. His pain level is severe and vitals and oxygen are wavering so he is currently intubated. His sedation is minimal but the breathing tube does not allow him to speak which has created a very difficult situation for his family as we desperately want to understand his hand and facial gestures, but feel we are failing miserably.


He has received exceptional care and has made much progress in the last 24 hours but of course he is quite fragile and has an overwhelmingly long recovery ahead. At this point, we must take it one hour at a time, not even one day at a time. God is able and we are resting in him.


Because of his need for rest and calm we are currently only allowing family to visit him.