After coming agonizingly close to qualifying for the Paris Olympics, Greco-Roman wrestler Alan Vera and his family suffered another blow, this time a matter of life and death. “Alan recently suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while playing soccer,” states the wrestler’s GoFundMe page. The unfortunate incident has plunged the wrestler’s wife and newborn into a financial crisis.

Thankfully, the wrestler’s well-wishers and fellow athletes have started a donation campaign with his wife’s blessings. Russian-born American Elena Pirozhkova, a former Olympian and freestyle wrestler, is also a chiropractic physician. However, at just five weeks post-pregnancy and with her husband in the ICU, she has been unable to work. Even if she could work, it would have been insufficient.

“We are launching a fundraising campaign to support baby Alina’s childcare needs during Alan’s recovery,” wrote organizer Abhishek Chand on the GoFundMe page. Besides Chand, Logan Kovach, Nancy Parra, and Pirozhkova are part of the team fundraiser. They have set a goal of $25,000 and so far the wrestling community has banded together to donate $19,145.

Although Alan Vera didn’t make it to the Paris Olympics, he was named one of the non-traveling alternates. The Greco-Roman wrestler came within touching distance of the Paris Games, making it all the way to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials finals. Unfortunately, he lost a closely contested best-of-three final against his old rival, Josef Rau. Despite the setback, Vera was in high spirits and engaged in another longtime passion, soccer.

Although he never played soccer competitively, the former Pan-American medalist is a huge fan of the English Premier League club Chelsea FC. The news of Vera’s sudden cardiac episode was even more shocking for his family and friends, as he showed no signs of distress. In fact, the wrestler fighting for his life played a crucial role in securing the U.S. wrestling team’s Olympic ambitions.

Alan Vera played a pivotal part in securing Team USA’s Paris Olympics dreams

The former 63 kg world champion didn’t just come close to punching his ticket to Paris; he helped Team USA earn a quota. Alan Vera, alongside Cohlton Schultz and Spencer Woods, earned three spots for the U.S. Olympic wrestling team. The 97 kg wrestler secured the quota for his nation after a dominant display at the Pan American Games.

Vera matched up against Luillys Jose Perez Mora and easily overpowered his opponent in the first period. He scored a quick seven points before Mora could respond and held on to the lead. The Venezuelan could only muster one point against Vera, who secured the quota with his victory. Unfortunately, it remains unclear when or if the passionate competitor will return to wrestling.

Despite the crisis, there is a silver lining for the Vera family. The wrestling community and Alan Vera’s soccer buddies have come to their support. It’s also likely that the fundraiser will succeed, as just 167 donations have already amounted to over $19,000.