Nominated by
Magda Ortiz
January 28, 2015
As if flipping his car down a sixty foot cliff in 2001 was not a close enough call, six years later my brother was hit by a SUV and pinned against a boat, breaking his back and facing the reality of never walking again. After being rushed to Baptist Hospital and undergoing countless doctors’ tests and x-rays, the doctors informed him that his sacrum was fractured and most likely he wouldn’t walk again.
Refusing to accept his projected fate, Joaquin began physical therapy, acupuncture and weekly chiropractor visits. “I refused to be a victim," he told NBC reporter Roxanna Vargas when she interviewed him for a “Lucky to be Alive” feature. My brother refused to hear the doctor’s words and fought for the ability to walk again! “It’s not enough to just survive; it’s after you survive, what do you do?” – Joaquin Orti www.youtube.com/watch After surviving the accidents and fully recovering he knew he was alive for a reason! Joaquin wanted to give back to the community and help others that were less fortunate that he. In 2011 my brother created the movement Conscious Acts of Kindness. Joaquin started with small offerings such as bringing hardworking Miami Beach construction workers bottles of water and sports drinks to paying for peoples marking meters. Slowly as the movement grew, he coordinated and organized Conscious Acts of Kindness Teams throughout the United States in cities such as Portland, Los Angeles and New York. He noticed the contagious effect of Conscious Acts of Kindness and decided to expand further. Realizing that although beneficial and inspiring, Conscious Acts of Kindness as a movement was limited. The idea needed to be transformed into a 501c3 non-profit foundation. Joaquin founded Conscious Acts Of Kindness as a non-profit foundation in 2012 and since doing so has coordinated and funded Conscious Acts both domestically and abroad. Some of my favorites have been, supplying 500 kites to children in Pushkar India, feeding an entire village in Bali Indonesia and bringing a bounce house castle to children in Senegal West Africa. Domestically he has worked with beached baby pilot whales at the Marine Mammal Conservancy, surprised senior citizens at an assisted living facility on Valentine’s Day with 1,000 roses that were labeled “You Are Loved” and my all-time favorite, sending a young boy fighting cancer to a Miami Heat game with court side seats; private limo to the game and all!
By being recognized by We Inspire Movement my brother's nonprofit foundation, Conscious Acts of Kindness will continue to grow in its awareness and outreach. Your help in exposing his work in the community will inspire countless individuals to go out on a daily basis and do something positive for their community and fellow man. www.ConsciousActsOfKindness.org
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Magda Ortiz