In Loving Memory of John Ortiz

Hi, my name is Samantha and I am creating this fundraiser for my grandfather’s wife Arlene.

My grandpa, John Ortiz, was involved in a hit and run car accident Monday night that put him on life support. The impact resulted in trauma to his spinal cord, two broken vertebrae in his back, a broken neck and a fractured skull. Doctors confirmed there was no brain activity and the trauma caused to the spinal cord would leave him a quadriplegic, that is only if he were to survive a very invasive back surgery. My grandpa made it very clear that if he was ever placed on life support to just pull the plug. He was 77 years old, and supposed to turn 78 on Christmas Day. My grandpas wife was driving home celebrating his defeat of cancer when another vehicle clipped the back left corner of the truck causing them to spin out and hit the center divide. The driver then sped off while others stopped to help render aid. More info on the crash can be found on ABC action 30 (link: https://abc30.com/hit-and-run-fatal-crash-great-grandfather-killed-highway-99/14179048/)

My grandpa was loved by so many people and I was saw that in the hospital. All throughout that following day, I witnessed an abundance of family, friends, children, grandchildren and all their partners come in and out grieving and waiting their chance to say their goodbyes to him.

The money donated will go directly to my grandpas wife to help with any additional funeral expenses and to keep her afloat until she can plan her next chapter of moving on without him.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.