(KGTV) - The sister of a Seattle man who died from injuries sustained in a Mexico ATV accident wrote a heartfelt letter thanking those who worked to save his life.
Diane Carrico’s younger brother, Chad, was riding an ATV during an Oct. 10 trip in Ensenada when he crashed.
Family members said Chad suffered severe liver damage, a punctured lung, and internal bleeding. He underwent surgery at a hospital in Mexico and was placed on life support.
RELATED: Seattle man severely injured in Mexico ATV crash
According to his family, the need to bring Carrico back to the U.S. became more pressing when it was learned he contracted a dangerous fungus on his nose that could spread to his brain.
On Oct. 16, Carrico was brought to the U.S. and transported to Scripps Mercy Hospital, but he died hours after his arrival, the family said.
Diane Carrico wrote the following letter that she said serves as the family’s final statement regarding her brother’s death:
I write this as I'm sitting at the airport, waiting for a flight that will take me to Seattle. There, I will soon be faced with the task of disassembling the physical manifestations of my brother's life. We know, instinctually, that death occurs and that this facet of our life story will always come to fruition. But when you are looking at it, when you are being told in fine detail how death is coming, there is an endless stream of sensations that befalls you regardless of how technical or practical you are about understanding this concept. There is not quite enough preparations you can make to really know what it will do to you.
Chad is the youngest sibling in the family. He began life with his own unique struggles; an undeveloped heart and necessity for life-saving surgery as an infant. There lingered in the family this unspoken fear; will his body be strong enough? He did find his own way in the world, with challenges both unique and shared amongst the human condition. Though he is a man, he is our parent's youngest boy and the loss of a child is too impactful for there to ever be accurate words to define the sensation. For this reason, I ask for the dignity and respect for my family's grief to be maintained and for those who are well-intentioned and curious to allow space for my family to grieve out loud only if and when they are ready.
Beyond the emotional toll, the end-of-life process has been complicated not only because of the current state of systems in place, but because of the multi-country involvement in my brother's care. We are still wading through the bureaucratic and administrative side of death; a task that must come regardless of the state of our mourning. We will be doing this for many months and supporters are still emerging, but I do want to take a moment to thank those who have helped us through this time.
First and foremost, I would like to thank Chad's former employer, Insight Pest Solutions in Federal Way, WA. Specifically Matthew Green and Brad Barton, who stayed behind to attend to Chad's care, locate family members, and act as translator. They sacrificed their own needs and offered a great deal of financial and emotional support beyond expectation. My family is so incredibly grateful to you.
I would like to thank the physicians that worked diligently and with great care, empathy, and discretion with the goal of making the most effective choices for Chad at Velmar Hospital in Ensanda, Mexico and Scripps Mercy in San Diego, CA. When we knew there was no coming back from this, our questions were answered honestly, respectfully, and with the promise that we would not be alone in this if that is what we needed. Additionally, thank you to Pacific Critical Care who transported my family to the US border and the ambulatory services and fire department on the San Diego side.
Thank you to strangers, friends, and family across the country and within the borders of Mexico who have offered my family support; emotionally, financially, and logistically. We are a sum of our experiences and our actions. How we respond when we're called to action contributes to the quality of who we are and who we are contributes to the quality of the world we live in. We reached out to you and you reached back.
I have lost track of many of the fine details and names have evaded me in the cloud of grief and end-of-life obligations, but know that if I have not personally named you, I remember you and you have had an impact on my life and the lives of my family members.
Death is permanent; we can't go back from here. I have learned so many things about the successes and failures of this process. We can't change what has happened, but we can learn. I hope that those involved have learned something about themselves and the systems we had to navigate. There is space to grow and to not let these lessons slip through your fingers.
A GoFundMe account was started to help raise money for Carrico's medical bills. As of Oct. 19, about $4,400 has been raised, with a goal of $60,000 set.
