Give Back to the Benavidez Family

This GoFundMe campaign is organized to support a family in need who endlessly pours into their community through service via church, work, and Rotary.

On July 18, 2023 Chris Benavidez suffered intense and mysterious medical trauma. He was rushed to a local hospital with his wife, Elizabeth by his side. After initial assessment, he was then airlifted to a Sacramento hospital, again, with Elizabeth by his side.

After multiple scans, doctors discovered a 6-centimeter mass (the size of a softball) in the left frontal lobe of Chris' brain and a thoracic fracture with a double compression to his T5 and T6 vertebrates. After many treatment discussions, Chris was scheduled four times for procedures, but all were cancelled due to high risk, including paralysis. As an alternative, Chris was fitted with a back brace around his torso that fits both his front and back. On July 30, he was discharged with orders to return on August 4 for an outpatient Craniotomy.

Upon his second stay in Sacramento, he underwent a Craniotomy. Again, Elizabeth was by his side 24/7. After many long hours of surgery, a mass the size of a baseball was removed. On August 6, Chris was allowed to go home. Today, miraculously, he is able to talk, eat, and walk a little.

Over the next three months Chris and Elizabeth will need to travel to the Sacramento area for updates and adjustments to his brace. After three months, they will consult with a specialist for the next steps for his back. During this time, Chris will need to be transported to and from appointments in Sacramento, and wherever specialty referrals send him.

Since July 18, Chris and Elizabeth have been hit with a mountain of medical bills not covered by insurance, especially for medical equipment and materials. Elizabeth, a contract worker, is at home with Chris as his 24-hour, sole caregiver and, as a result, is unable to work and bring in income.

Chris and Elizabeth Benavidez have 5 children with 2 babies on the way, due in December. Chris works for a local non-profit agency assisting the chronically homeless achieve independence and housing. Elizabeth has worked for 25 years doing the same type of work. Currently, she specializes in substance use, mental health, and behavioral health, serving as a contract worker at a local hospital. Both live to serve.

The Los Banos Rotary has organized this GoFundMe campaign to ease the Benavidez family’s financial burdens. We believe together we can do so much more. We encourage you to give as you are able; by direct donation, sharing the link on your social platforms, sharing the link with your church bodies, and, of course, with your thoughts and prayers. If you feel more comfortable sending a check or using Venmo rather than using this online platform, please contact the organizer. We thank you in advance for your selfless act.