Raising Money for Dads Funeral

My dad's name was Sotero Garcia. He was a really great man and human being. His number one priority was always his family. At the age of 12, he lost his father. Having 8 siblings in Mexico was not easy and came with a lot of expenses. He decided to drop out of school, middle school to be exact, and help out his mom. He started to work at a very young age in anything he could. Agriculture, farming, mechanic, lumber and the list goes on and on. The money he earned from working was all directed towards his mom. He never kept a single bill for himself. He provided for his siblings and made sure they didn't pass hunger. At the age of 19, he made the biggest decision in his life. He decided to leave Mexico and his younger siblings to look for a better opportunity. He came to the United States in hope of providing a better life for his mom and siblings. Ever since he came, he was always hard working. He worked wherever help was needed and never forgot about his family in Mexico. He would send them money every month and made sure they had everything they needed. My dad met my mom here in the United States. I remember when he would tell me stories about their first dates. My dad didn't have a car, so he would pick up my mom on his bike.  He would sit her on the bike frame and they would arrive to their destination on the bike. I thought it was really cute and simple. My dad married my mom and they had 3 children. My two younger sisters and of course me, their brother. I remember my dad has always worked two jobs ever since we were growing up. The two jobs were always full time. He worked the whole day and then at night again. He always wanted to provide a good life for us and his main dream was to see us graduate and finish school. No matter if he was exhausted or his legs were about to give up, he always held it in and went to work. My dad was always a really hard working man and was never selfish. He put our family ahead of him all the time. His needs came last. His family was always his priority. I remember my dads last job was working as a landscaper, in the hot sun. He was a landscaper for 14 years. He worked 40+ hours every week. On the weekends, he did his own side jobs to provide extra income to the house. My dad was everything to me. He was my model to follow and had really good morals. The number one thing I always admired about him was his faith in God. He was a man of God and not only preached what he learned but put it into practice. I remember when we would go to mass on Sundays. He would always disappear right after mass and we could never find him. He was always talking to strangers about God's love towards all of us and inviting them to get closer to God. His faith was admirable. I wish my faith and dedication to God was as strong as the one he had. Unfortunately, last October of 2017, we had to take him to the emergency room. He was having a lot of trouble breathing and was having shortness of breath. Doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia. He was hospitalized for a week and half and then discharged home. A few weeks later, we had to take him to the emergency room again since he could not breathe again. Doctors said the pneumonia had come back. He was discharged after a week. The year ended and in January of 2018, the bad news came. My dad got worse and we decided to take him to UCI. The doctors diagnosed him with pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that has no cure and leads to death. Not only was he diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, but also with interstitial lung disease. He was discharged 5 days later. Things started to get worse. My dad was sent home with an oxygen tank and he had trouble breathing, walking, showering and even eating. Seeing my dad struggle with tasks as simple as tying his shoes was heartbreaking. My dad was always active, working and had so much energy to spare. But seeing him suffer with his breathing was tearing us apart. A normal person is supposed to have his oxygen level from 95-100. My dad had it from 65-80. Even though he was sick, he never gave up. He would go work with me on the weekends to do his side jobs, but he struggled a lot. He always had faith God would heal him and he never complained about his sickness. He always pushed forward and with a smile. It was back in March 2018 when he had his last hospital visit. We took him to the emergency room again due to his low oxygen level and shortness of breath. We never imagined he would never leave the hospital again but in a body bag. My dad was hospitalized for a month and 2 weeks. He spent the first month on high flow oxygen intake until he got sicker and was transferred to ICU (intensive care unit). He lasted 4 days until the doctors told us he needed to be intubated or else he was going to die. We gave the authorization and I remember my last words to my dad were "Dad, take care of yourself. I love you and I need you to get better." He was intubated and never spoke or opened his eyes again. My dad lasted two weeks intubated. The doctors told us that there was nothing they could for my dad anymore and the ventilator he was connected to was the only thing keeping him alive. It was very hard to let go of my dad. The doctors decided to disconnect him on Saturday, April 28. He passed away at 2:25pm, shortly after being disconnected. He died of the interstitial lung disease which caused his oxygen level to significantly drop. I lost my dad in 6 months. 6 months of uncertainty and seeing him suffer with any activity.  My dad left this world, leaving behind my mom and two younger sisters, one of which is only 11 years old. My dad is and will always be my hero. He was a hero to my family. He was a hero to the people who loved him. He was simply the best dad I could have ever asked for. All the donations given and received will be used for my dad's funeral services and burial. He was the main income to our house and we weren't prepared for him passing away. In 6 months, our life took a 180 degree turn. All we know, is that my family has an angel in heaven watching over us. I love you dad and thank you for simply being you!

RIP 06/24/68-04/28/18