The Southern California family is desperate to bring their father home, remaining in coma after suffering from a medical emergency overseas.
Lovers said Manuel Contreras, 47, a father of three from Victorville, loved traveling and spending time with his family.
He recently flew to Cancun, Mexico to visit a childhood friend. However, during the trip, he first suffered a small stroke, followed by a much larger stroke two days later.
Manuel Contreras (second from left) is seen with three children. (Contreras’ family) Manuel Contreras is seen with his son in a family photo. Manuel Contreras is seen with her daughter in a family photo. Laren and Gabriel Contreras will talk to KTLA’s Shelby Nelson on June 4, 2025. (Contreras’ family) Manuel Contreras is seen with his son in a family photo. Manuel Contreras is seen with his son in a family photo.
He was rushed to the hospital, where he remained in coma and was in a state of crisis.
“My father, he is probably the hardest and most active person I know,” Manuel’s son, Gabriel Contreras, told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson. “He was planning to leave a week, and that was just to spend time with his friends.”
Manuel’s children were notified of their father’s hospitalization on May 30th.
“He’s collapsed and I believe that, fortunately, there was someone out there to help,” Contreras said. “As the ambulance came to help my dad at the hospital, his friends were able to meet him there.”
Since then, Manuel’s children say they’ve encountered one after another heartbreaking challenge.
Manuel is currently in Medi-Cal, USA. A Mexican hospital that can properly treat his condition does not accept his insurance, so he was transferred to a general hospital instead.
“In the general hospital, they don’t have the right funds or equipment to treat him there, so they want him to be put in the coma that led him to be healed,” said Manuel’s daughter, Laren Contreras.
His family is now working desperately to bring him back to the US to get proper medical care, but the cost of transporting him from abroad is so high that they can more than they can afford.
“If you fly him to Houston it costs about $30,000 to just take him to the state for him to be treated,” Larene said.
My loved one set up a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising funds to get Manuel back. They also contacted local House member Jay Obernolte and the US Embassy for help, but they said they had not received a response.
In addition to the stroke, a loved one said Manuel also suffered from a respiratory infection. When time runs out, his children say they are trying to continue hoping that their father will recover, but they are also desperate to bring him back home.
“He’s always on the phone, so he always wants to be the first person to help them, just in case the kids call,” Larene said in tears. “When I call his phone, I feel helpless to know that he’s not going to answer.”
“We don’t want to think about the worst,” Gabriel said. “We want to think about the best possible outcomes. I know my dad is a very strong man.”
Click here to see the GoFundMe page to help Manuel with medical transportation costs.
Raffle fundraiser will receive the Raffle Award at Bombshells Bar & Grill in Victorville on Friday, June 6th at 6pm.
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