Jose Rodriguez-Morgan is a 53-year-old man who was born in Panama City, Panama. He was hired to work as a Telecommunication Engineer in the United States several years ago, thus starting a new life. Jose is a devoted husband, brother, and son. He is well-known amongst family and friends for his funny attitude and young spirit. Now Jose needs the support of his community during a difficult time.
In 2007, Jose’s medical journey began when he was diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus Type II. Although it took some adjusting and a lot of medical oversight, handling this disease was manageable. In 2011, his disease began to worsen and he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Renal Failure. In 2013, a biopsy and ultrasound confirmed our worst fears — he had reached the last stage of chronic kidney disease called End Stage Renal Disease. Despite his declining health and its impact on his normal activities, Jose maintained a positive attitude. He has been a model patient, including following a strict diet in hopes of delaying the progress of the disease.
In July 2016, Jose’s health took a serious turn for the worse when his kidneys were only functioning at 7%. This was a dangerous situation as it caused his potassium levels and other minerals that control blood pressure, sugar, and heart rate to rise uncontrollably. He required emergency medical attention at our home and was hospitalized for five days. This left us all terrified! After discharge, he was ordered to begin hemodialysis 3 days a week, 4-6 hours a day, at a local dialysis center. This along with several other changes, including new medications, increased Nephrology visits, frequent medical labs, and an even stricter diet, was necessary.
After several months, Jose again adjusted to all the new changes and is currently receiving peritoneal dialysis at home. However, he longs for the day when he would no longer require dialysis for survival. His greatest wish is to receive a second chance at life through the gift of a new kidney. Jose is actively pursuing this dream and is currently in the second phase of a comprehensive kidney transplant evaluation. This is where we need your help.
This procedure is life-saving, but financially draining. As you can imagine, financing Jose’s unexpected medical events, along with planning for a transplantation is overwhelming. Even with private insurance, he is left with many out-of-pocket expenses such as bills related to his evaluation, transportation costs, and sizable pre- and post-transplant medications. This presents a challenge we cannot meet alone.
To help with the financial burden of Jose’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in his honor has been established with Help Hope Live, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law, are held by Help Hope Live in the Southeast Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only. Please consider a contribution.
To donate by credit card, please select the “Donate Now” button or call 800.642.8399. For instructions how to send a contribution, please see the “Mailing a Check?” box on this page.
Keep an eye on this campaign page because we will be planning some fundraising events soon and posting updates regularly. Thank you for your prayers, support and generosity.
Gratefully,
Ana Maria Rodriguez, Jose’s Wife
“Honrad al Señor con tus riquezas y con los primeros frutos de tus cosechas” Proverbios 3:9
