Mystery Patient Will Undergo Brain Surgery

Doctors at UCI Medical Center in Orange plan to perform risky brain surgery today on a man whose identity has been a mystery since he was brought unconscious to the hospital 6 weeks ago by an unidentified woman who left and never returned, authorities said.

The man is unable to speak because of a tracheotomy performed shortly after his arrival at the hospital, and he apparently cannot read or write, UCI public safety officer Julie Christina said.

By nodding “yes” or “no” to hospital staff members’ questions in Spanish, he has indicated that he is a 20-year-old Mexican national in the country illegally and has friends in the area, Christina said. But when staff reeled off a list of cities and communities to see if the man could let them know where he lived, he did not respond to any of them, she said.

“We have no idea who the young man is,” Christina said. A woman brought the man in, unconscious, on Jan. 7 and then left, she said.

The man has a potentially fatal brain aneurysm--a condition caused by a weakened blood vessel that Christina said doctors have described as “a time bomb.” He will undergo a 10- to 12-hour operation today to try to correct the condition, she said.

The UCI Medical Center staff is hoping that friends or family of the man will recognize his picture and come to the hospital to identify him.

“He nods yes to the question ‘Would you like to see your friends or family?’ ” Christina said. “Today he had a tear in his eye when we asked him again what his name was.”

Christina said that authorities are concerned that the man’s friends are staying away for fear of coming in contact with immigration authorities. “We’re not checking the status of anyone,” Christina said. “We’re only interested in the patient.”

Christina said that it is “very possible” that the man has been treated for his condition in Orange County before. When he arrived at the hospital, he had with him a bottle of Tegretol, a prescription medicine used in related cases.

Authorities said anyone with information about the man should call the UCI Safety Department at (714) 634-5493.