Kings fans come to the rescue after Sacramento family suffers medical emergency in Mexico
Kings fans rallied to support one of their own in recent days when a local family with ties to the team needed help after incurring sudden and unexpected medical costs during a trip to Mexico.
Gerald Marfil, 51, was vacationing with his family in Cabo San Lucas when he had a heart attack. Marfil was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. Marfil was recovering and awaiting discharge when he suffered a second heart attack, this one bigger than the first.
Marfil is a longtime Kings fans who works in law enforcement. His wife, Marnie Marfil, is a Kings premium account manager who has been with the organization for more than a decade. Their children, Jacob, Jordan and Kirsten, started a GoFundMe campaign to help them cover tens of thousands of dollars in mounting expenses, explaining that “hospitals in Mexico are extremely different than the U.S.”
“We were being demanded to pay large sums of money just to help my dad,” Kirsten Marfil said in the initial post on the GoFundMe page.
The family expects to be in Mexico for at least one more week before Gerald Marfil is released from the hospital. Getting him home to Sacramento will require an air ambulance with estimates starting around $35,000 on top of hospital bills, hotel costs and other expenses, the Marfils said.
The fundraising campaign has generated a strong response from the community with more than 230 donations totaling over $40,000. Some of Marnie Marfil’s clients were among the first to contribute.
More donations came in after local media began to spread the word Saturday evening via Twitter, including contributions from Kings radio broadcaster Gary Gerould, former Kings trainer Pete Youngman and former Kings fan favorite Jack Cooley.
A number of Kings fans who are active on Twitter also made donations, including David Lack, Kevin Fippin, Jillian Adge and Matt Bohmbach. A source with knowledge of the situation told The Sacramento Bee the Kings were in touch with the family Sunday and providing assistance as well.
“From the beginning, my mom’s clients, who are season ticket holders, were immediately checking in on her,” Jordan Marfil told The Bee. “She has clients who are doctors as well, providing medical advice.
“When Kings fans found out about our situation on social media, the love was immediate and massive. We were getting personal messages wishing us well as well as financial support. It has given up a huge mental boost through everything we’re going through. It’s amazing. Local Kings media was immediately responsive and showed genuine concern. I’m honestly amazed and we feel genuinely loved.”
