Benefit meal will help Dallas police officer recovering from brain clots

Chow down Thursday and help an officer in need. Dallas police and volunteers will dish up plates of food for $5 donations to help Alex Garcia, a young officer who developed blood clots on his brain this summer and is going through rehabilitation.

On the menu: Barbecued chicken, hot links, hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad and lemonade will be served from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Northeast Patrol Division, 9915 E. Northwest Highway. Eat under an awning in the back or take it to go. Look for parking signs across the street.

The beneficiary: Garcia was attending an out-of-state Police Explorer’s conference when he became severely dehydrated and suffered brain hemorrhaging. He’s home but continuing rehab at UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Zale Lipshy Hospital. The benefit, organized by the Neighborhood Police Officers Unit, will help with medical bills and related expenses, said Officer Mitch Gatson.

Condition update: Dallas police forwarded this update last Wednesday from his wife, Rosa: “Alex is progressing at a fast pace. The rehabilitation personnel, Alex, and I had a meeting last week and we were told that they have 3 levels of people they work with:

1. Those that can’t do anything by themselves and need the most help.

2. The middle level, which is where Alex was originally.

3. The exit level, which really focuses on getting patients ready to return to work and be independent. The great news is that Alex is now in the exit level. … They don’t have an exact discharge date, but they did mention maybe two or three more months. It really all depends on how he is doing.”

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