Why Fundación Castañón exists.

I am not a physician. I am not a hospital administrator either. I am the son of Dr. Ricardo Castañón, an extraordinary eye surgeon who in his time revolutionized ophthalmology in central Mexico.

In July 2023, while sleeping on vacation in Spain, my father suffered an aneurysm.

I had been living in Canada for ten years. That day my life split in two. I flew to Spain on an emergency basis, and what I thought would be a few days became more than three months at my father's side through his physical and neurological rehabilitation, until we could stabilize him and bring him home to Mexico.

Overnight, I became the caregiver of a fully dependent stroke patient. Far from my home, my family, and my work in Edmonton. At the same time, I had to take over my father's businesses and commitments in San Luis Potosí. I learned — suddenly, and without a manual — what it means to hold up a loved one's life while your own turns upside down.

When I finally flew my father back to San Luis Potosí, I thought that chapter was ending and I would return to my life. It didn't happen that way. Among the many responsibilities that fell from the sky was one question: what to do with Clínica Fundación Castañón, the ophthalmology center my father had built?

I decided to take the reins. And after living what I lived — and continuing to live, day after day, the consequences of a medical event in someone you love — I knew exactly what I wanted to build.

A medical center with a different approach

I decided to build on the clinic's infrastructure and transform it into what I myself had needed: a multi-specialty medical center focused on preventive and regenerative medicine. A place where the patient's health and quality of life are the axis of everything. A place where you find answers, plans, and the medical and scientific backing to live better and age better.

Let me be very clear about something: my goal is not for people to live more years. It is to help people live better — with quality of life, autonomy, and independence.

Every specialty at Fundación Castañón was chosen with that purpose. Ophthalmology, our root, because sight is the sense that gives us the most independence. Orthopedics and rehabilitation, because preserving movement is preserving freedom — being able to walk, keep your balance, hold on to your strength. Nutrition, because a well-nourished, uninflamed body is the foundation of everything else. The laboratory and imaging, because what gets measured can be improved. Internal medicine, because preventing chronic disease — of which Mexico has some of the highest rates in the world — is the most important battle and the most neglected. And our outpatient operating rooms, because when prevention is no longer enough, safe surgery and a prompt recovery are also quality of life.

So that no one goes through this alone

Today I want to help people avoid living what I lived with my father. And for those who are unfortunately already living it, I want to offer the support, the spaces, and the knowledge that I did not have when I needed them.

If you are caring for someone you love, or if you simply want to reach 70, 80, or 90 walking on your own two feet, seeing with your own eyes, and making your own decisions — this center was built with you in mind.

We walk with you through life, so you can live it better.

José Antonio Castañón
General Director · Fundación Castañón