Mercedes Martinez has had surgery on her right knee, and the fans who rallied behind her made it possible.
Martinez tore her ACL in a match against Allie Katch on August 15. She later explained that she has no health insurance and that doctors wouldn’t schedule the operation until she could pay for it. She started a GoFundMe, and fans responded quickly.
In a video posted on X, Martinez thanked everyone who reached out to her, sent donations and wished her well. She confirmed that the fundraiser covered the surgery in full and called that a huge blessing. It certainly removed a big financial concern.
According to her update, the surgery fully repaired the ACL and also fixed a small MCL tear. Doctors found arthritis in the knee as well. She said she is now cleaning the incision, changing the dressing, wearing a knee brace, icing the area and starting rehab exercises at home. She’s avoiding pain medicine unless she really needs it.
Her next challenge is paying for recovery supplies and rehabilitation costs, which the fundraiser did not fully cover.
