As many of you may already know, for the past eight years I have been suffering with end-stage renal disease. I’m currently on dialysis three days a week, for six hours each day. Dialysis is keeping me alive, although it has proven disruptive for my school schedule and life overall. Even though I don’t seem sick, there are days where I feel terrible. First of all, I would like to thank you all of you for your support– I am so very grateful to all of you who have already donated to my fundraising campaign. My family also appreciates your support as it keeps me going strong (I hope to get my kidney transplant soon).

I am still on the transplant waiting list at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Even with insurance, I will have many uninsured, transplant-related expenses such as: co-pays and deductibles, doctor visits and the costly immunosuppressant medications that I will need to take for the rest of my life. I have been told by my transplant team that I cannot be placed on the active waiting list until I raise $75,000 for these uninsured transplant expenses. This continues to present a financial challenge that I cannot meet alone.

To help with this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in my honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for over 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Southwest Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Please consider making an end-of-year, tax-deductible contribution today.

With your help and support I will be able to overcome this hurdle. I look forward to the day when I can attend school full-time and actively promote kidney disease awareness and organ donation. Once again, thank you.

Gustavo Galicia
gustavogalicia@yahoo.com