‘Shameless’ Actor Oscar J. Pena Reveals His Mom Is Fighting for Her Life After Car Crash

Actor Oscar J. Peña’s is fighting for his mom’s life after a car crash on July 31 sent Maria Peña to the ICU with multiple severe injuries. Oscar, who has had roles on Shameless, The Rookie and Queen Sugar, created a GoFundMe campaign to help with his mother’s extensive medical bills. Maria’s car was hit by a teenager running a red light, the actor revealed in the campaign description, and was airlifted to the hospital with “traumatic brain injury, collapsed lungs, ruptured aorta in her heart, ruptured bladder, broken ribs, pelvis, and face fractures.”

“In spite of all that, she is stable, but still unconscious,” he continued. “Although her brain injury is very severe, the doctors have said there’s a chance for long term recovery and I will do whatever it takes to fight for my mom’s life.” Maria has been in the ICU for 17 days at this point, but is “strong,” Oscar wrote, although there is a long road ahead for her, as she “will need care, surgeries, rehabilitation, medicine, etc.”

Alleging that the teenager who hit Marie had an expired insurance policy, Oscar said the financial need facing his family at this moment is immense. “My family needs help to take care of her and so I’m reaching out and asking for help,” he wrote. “I need to do everything I can for my Mom because that is what she would do for us.” Thanking the “incredible human beings” who have dedicated their lives to helping other people, Oscar said he is “indebted” to the “wonderful doctors and nurses” treating his mother.

He added that because of the coronavirus pandemic, he and his family had to wait 15 days before they could visit Maria in the hospital, before only seeing her on Zoom calls. Thursday, however, Oscar wrote in an update on the fundraiser that his mom’s nurse said that she was able to follow commands like “squeeze my hand” and “wiggle your toes.” He added, “It’s huge progress and I’m so thankful.”

Oscar described his mom as a caring and hard worker who was driving lunch to one of the employees of her small cleaning service when the crash occurred. “She loves singing karaoke, visiting her family in Mexico, and taking her grandchildren to Starbucks,” he continued of the kind of person his mother is, noting that her employees depend on her for their own livelihood. “She doesn’t deserve this.”