Gerardo M. was reeling in his crab nets one cold morning in the San Francisco Bay when he felt a familiar pop in his head. He immediately knew that the mass that had been growing in his brain had burst again. He barely had enough time to ask the skipper to alert Maria M., his mother, before being airlifted by the Coast Guard to Stanford’s Lucille Packard hospital with a massive brain bleed. The year was 2011, and Gerardo was only 27 years old. He would not only survive; he would become an inspiration to many, including those who served him at the Alexander Community Law Center.
When he was 15, Gerardo collapsed at school. The doctors who examined him identified a cluster of blood vessels that was growing out of control in his brain. While they were able to remove the mass, the doctors surmised that the condition would reoccur before he turned 21. Indeed, when Gerardo turned 19, doctors once again had to remove a mass, a risky operation that sacrificed his hearing on the right side. He was told, however, that the condition would probably not return.
By now, Gerardo’s parents had divorced. And while everyone in his family had become legal residents in 1999, only his mother and sister went on to become U.S. citizens. In the meantime, Gerardo’s efforts to obtain a contractor’s license through a vocational school were stymied by his condition and his recovery, so he held various construction jobs to make ends meet. As construction work dried up, he looked towards the sea, as a crab fisherman.
The third operation left Gerardo permanently disabled. He uses a walker, his speech is impaired and he suffers from severe tremors that make it difficult to eat, read or watch TV. But Gerardo, whose passion is fishing, is an optimist who laughs easily and often. In 2015, thanks to his own determination and the diligent work of Alexander Community Law Center immigration students and staff who interviewed Gerardo and his mother, researched the law, documented the situation and completed his citizenship application, Gerardo achieved one of his life-long goals: he became a U.S. Citizen. “The Law Center is a very special place. Our attorney and our law students worked with great heart, showing us great dedication and respect every step of the way. How can we thank you enough? ” said Maria.
We at the Alexander Community Law Center are grateful for the opportunity to have called him our client. Congratulations, Gerardo and Maria.
