New Mexican musician faces tough battle after tragic accident in Rome

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – If you’re from northern New Mexico, you’ll be familiar with the band Cascabel. Leo Maes has been singing and playing drums in the band for years.

“Leo has always been a musician, I think since he could hold a drumstick, playing the drums was his great love. He’s a joker, he’s crazy (laughs), he loves his family, he loves his daughter and his whole family,” said Barbara Maes, Leo’s wife.

It was this love for his daughters that led him to book a family trip to Rome this summer. His daughter, Alex Maes, says she was at the Vatican last year and wanted to share the experience with her father.

“My husband and I have planned a tour of the Vatican. My father really wanted to see the Vatican and his main goal is to bring back a souvenir for one of his cousins, like a rosary or something,” Alex said.

On the second day of the holiday, things took a turn: Leo collapsed during the tour.

“He essentially broke his neck, which resulted in a severe spinal cord injury,” Alex said.

Leo had to undergo emergency surgery. The family learned that he tested positive for COVID-19, but does not know if that had anything to do with the collapse.

“All I can do is look out the window. And then, as Alex said, the language barrier made getting information from doctors very difficult,” Barbara said.

They are stranded thousands of miles away and are relying on the help of the community in New Mexico to bring Leo back home.

“He is very popular in the music community. The support we get is overwhelming,” said Barbara.

They have already raised more than $20,000 through a GoFundMe page. Their goal is to get him to UNM Hospital for the remainder of his treatment.

It is still questionable whether he will ever be able to move his arms and legs again.

“It’s really urgent to get a rescue helicopter equipped to transport an intubated patient. These rescue helicopters are extremely expensive. We’ve looked at several and our main goal is to bring him home. I want to bring him home,” said Alex.

Even though there is still a long way to go, they are grateful for the community’s support.

“I can’t even put into words how grateful I am for all the support, all the love and prayers we have received. I just want to tell my dad, if he can hear me, that I love him so much,” Alex said.