Victim and family of a man hit by car need help

The family of 62-year-old Ruben Luna, who was hit by a car on Jan. 31, 2023, is seeking financial assistance for medical bills that are being incurred over a year since the accident.

Luna has been bedridden in their home after being hit by a car while he was walking in Koblerville. Since then, he’s required the daily help and assistance of a caregiver. He also gets transported to and from the hospital and his home by an ambulance for check-ups and other necessary medical procedures done.

Luna had not been working for some time prior to his accident as he was taking care of his ill mother and does not have insurance.

The medical bills have accrued to over $15,000 from the time of his admittance to the hospital after the accident—not including cost of medication, necessary procedures, ambulance bills, and the caregiver’s salary. Since the accident, those bills have stacked up considerably on top of the family’s monthly car payments, rent, grocery, and other living expenses.

It cost $3,000 alone per day for his hospital room, where he stayed for three days. This did not include all the medicine, x-rays, and CT scan that were done. Just last month, Luna was rushed to the hospital because blood had been coming out of his trachea’s tube for a couple of days.

Christian Troy Rosimo, Luna’s son, said, “It’s been a year since he got his feeding tube placed. Food has been building up on the tube and it is becoming discolored so the doctor advised us to replace it in order to keep my dad healthy. The procedure costs about $3,400.”

Luna’s wife, Estrella Jumila Luna, and Rosimo asked for their story to be told so they can get the help they need. The family added that they also appreciate all the help that they’ve had so far since the accident.

For donations, Paypal: ctrosimo@gmail.com. Scan the QR code in this story.

Justice

In addition to financial assistance, the family is also seeking justice. The driver has not been arrested nor has he assisted with any of Luna’s bills. Estrella, a daycare worker at Gana Daycare, said she’s asked help from the government, lawyers, and others, to no avail.

After the initial accident, a police report was taken, but she said no other updates were given. Estrella went to the Department of Public Safety to ask for an update sometime last year, but was told that the matter is still under investigation.

Estrella appeals to the driver to come forward and hopes he can reach out to them and assist them in any way he can.

Rosimo, in his social media post said, “One year later and justice still has not been served for my dad. We are not even seeking prosecution or jail time, just financial support for the medical bills that they caused. The driver is still out, free and able to live his normal life while my dad is in bed all day unable to speak, move, or experience life.”

Rosimo, who is an editor for local social media influencer Palm Trio and is a Northern Marianas College student, said asking for help from strangers and others is a last resort, but “my mom and I are defeated, overworked, and heartbroken. We have exhausted all of our options. Most of our savings is used up and we are living paycheck to paycheck while the hospital bill continues to grow. Without any insurance or Medicaid, my mom and I don’t know how we will pay off this bill. In my culture (Filipino), which I am sure most of you would relate to, we often avoid asking other people for help because we know we all have our own struggles. We would rather figure things out ourselves and work hard. However, I love both my parents so much and would do anything for them even if it means working multiple jobs or lowering my pride and asking other people for financial help.”