A 16-year-old Belizean teen, Orell Reyes from Pomona Village, is facing an uncertain future after a random shooting left him paralyzed from the waist down earlier this month. Now, a community-led GoFundMe campaign is working to raise the funds he needs to access life-changing specialized medical care south of the border.
The fundraiser, named “Stand with Orell: A Chance to Walk Again,” was organized by Whitney Geenen on behalf of Reyes’ family—Geenen is the employer of the teen’s housekeeper mother. As of the latest public update, 18 individual donors have contributed a total of $2,176 toward the $15,000 fundraising goal, putting the campaign less than 15% of the way to its target.
The unthinkable tragedy unfolded shortly after Reyes finished football practice on a June afternoon. The teen stopped to pick up cold sodas for his teammates when two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on the area. Reyes was among multiple people struck by gunfire, and a bullet remains lodged in his spinal cord, resulting in permanent lower-body paralysis to date.
In the weeks since the shooting, Reyes has developed severe, life-disrupting complications that local healthcare systems are not equipped to address properly. He has repeatedly battled dangerous infections and persistent high fevers, while his family grapples with limited access to consistent, adequate care. Local medical providers have confirmed that specialized assessment and potential surgery to safely remove the bullet is not available in Belize; the only viable option for the teen is to travel to Mérida, Mexico for the intervention that could potentially restore his ability to walk.
From his hospital bed, Reyes described the constant numbness that has upended his young life. “From my waist to my foot, dead, dead, dead, pops. I can’t feel nothing,” he told local outlet News 5. “I just want a little help to go outside so they can take out this bullet out of my back. I tired of laying on my back.”
Law enforcement investigations remain at a standstill nearly a month after the attack. Police have not established a clear motive for the shooting, and investigators have confirmed that Reyes was almost certainly not the gunmen’s intended target. No suspects have been arrested or publicly identified as of the latest updates.
Community members and supporters around the world can contribute to Reyes’ medical care through the official GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-orell-a-chance-to-walk-again.