April 14, 2022

Thank you to Shannon Murray and Fox 4 Good Day for picking up my dad's story! We've received such an outpouring of support and love after the broadcast and it's truly impossible to put into words how amazing the past 24 hours has been for us. Thank you to every donor and just know that we will keep fighting!

Every dollar counts and goes toward his fight; we hope to raise enough money to pay for his transplant/post-care expenses completely and then be able to give back to Help Hope Live and pay this kindness forward to another person in great need!!

April 10, 2022

Today was a BIG day for us! My dad interviewed with Shannon Murray FOX 4 this morning to share his heart health battle and need for a heart transplant in honor of #DonateLifeMonth! Don't worry; we'll let you know when to expect the story on @fox4news next week sometime!

Thank you to Shannon and Kevin (the cameraman) for picking up my dad's story and being so amazing in the interview process!

In the meantime, we have completed all of his evaluations for heart transplant consideration; next Thursday, Dr. Al-Saffar will present his case to a board of doctors, nurses, and surgeons to approve or deny his acceptability to receive a second chance at life. For now, we will wait until next week to hear if we have been accepted, denied, or require more testing. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue the fight!!

March 31, 2022

3.30.2022 Update: Thank You!

March 27, 2022

Another day, another couple evaluations completed.

We had another heart failure check-in yesterday at the Center of Advanced Cardio Care; Dr. Kabra is our home base for my dad's transplant process and maintaining his health to make it to that new heart successfully.

We also met with one of the cardiothoracic surgeons, Dr. Enter, who evaluated our chances of a successful transplant and (good news!)... my dad has a great chance of having a successful procedure based on his eval! We learned more about the surgery process from the surgeons POV and his information brought us a lot of comfort in the wake of all of this.

Bonus: It turns out us Hispanics have our OWN Cardiovascular Institute at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas TX!

March 25, 2022

Yesterday, we attended our Transplant Education Class and the Transplant Dietician Consultation!

Both are steps towards being presented to the Transplant Committee at BUMC Dallas, which is the most important decision we will be going up for Kevin's heart transplant; the committee can choose to accept, deny, or ask for MORE evaluations in order to list him. It's like applying to a very IMPORTANT college!

We have 6 more evaluations to complete with Baylor before Kevin's case is presented, so these next couple weeks are imperative for us. The Transplant Education class was nearly 3 hours long and incredibly packed with information; but from speaking to our team everyday, we think Kevin has a great chance at being accepted by the program! Keep us in your prayers and cross your fingers we get listed officially!

Thank you for your support and care! If you would like to donate to Kevin's transplant campaign, please visit helphopelive.org

March 22, 2022

Getting our defibrillator checked!

We went to visit our electrophysiologist, Dr. Chhabra to get our defib check up. This is just another part of moving forward and hopefully one day not needing it anymore if we get a new heart! This little device has saved Kevin's life multiple times; he has been shocked by the defib over 20 times, just imagine being suddenly hit with a huge electrical charge at any given moment when it senses your heart issues...

Dr. Chhabra has been with us for awhile and made the process of having this car battery in my Dad's chest easier through his great care and friendship. Also, shoutout to the Medtronic tech, Josh!

Please keep donating and sharing this journey, every dollar counts and goes towards the medical costs associated with getting to the heart transplant! Visit helphopelive.org to donate today!

March 20, 2022

Another test, another day closer to getting a new heart.

Kevin went for a sleep study (this must be his 5th one by now) this week; this evaluation is key to finishing some more requirements for his transplant listing. It also has the benefit of weird pictures.

DON'T FORGET: Join #TeamLopez and purchase a shirt at www.bonfire.com

to donate to his heart transplant fundraiser in benefit of his medical expenses!

March 15, 2022

THANK YOU TO Dental Care of Frisco, Dr. Grant and the team!!

Part of the journey to getting any organ transplant requires maintenance of oral health, for infection and sterility purposes. Now Kevin has received dental clearance after some work that was necessary to make his teeth viable for his heart health!

Due to years of medication-related tooth decay, this work was at the top of our urgent list to get him ready for transplant listing, so we cannot thank Dr. Grant, Cari Seelye & Chessa Hammond, and the whole team at the office for their quick and FANTASTIC work!! They made my Dad a high priority and understood our financial needs; through our fundraising efforts he was able to afford getting the necessary work done!!

March 5, 2022

COUMADIN CLUB WHERE YOU AT!!!

If you're wondering why Kevin is visiting a Cancer Treatment Center, don't worry too much; he visits quite often to get his INR checked! Coumadin is an anti-coagulate that keeps his blood nice and thin (prevents those dangerous clots), but a side effect is that it makes your blood so thin that even a simple cut could be dangerous and cause excessive bleeding. That's why we keep him away from sharp edges and objects!

His doctors must also monitor the side effects of the drug, which is normally prescribed to patients much older due to the damage it can cause in younger patients; which he is already also experiencing.

March 3, 2022

Did you know that O type blood patients have the longest wait on an organ transplant list??

For those with O blood, like Kevin, the wait time averages over 470 DAYS for a compatible heart/organ to align with your availability/suitable condition!! The shortest wait-list blood type is also the rarest: AB blood! Congrats AB blood; you average about 24 days!!

Today, we visited the DFW Heart Transplant Center that is going to be our new home away from home during this journey. Many blood draws, appointments, evaluations, meetings, and more are awaiting us to get to this new heart; it’s kind of like applying for the most important job in your life! We want to thank everyone for their support and love during this journey!

February 19, 2022

How do you keep your heart going when experiencing heart failure?

Well, it's easy!

1. Start with an amazing cardiologist that has saved your life more than you can count. (Shout out Dr. Bavikati!)

2. Have a PICC line inserted through a vein in your arm that goes DIRECTLY to your weakening heart to administer medication to buy you more time to a heart transplant. Highly recommend; looks fun doesn't it?

3. Attach a portable IV infusion pump that you must wear 24/7 until said heart is found for you. Sure; it beeps a lot and you have to wear it everywhere (#manpurse) and a home health nurse (who is amazing and helps you feel more comfortable with your new life saving appendage) has to come twice a week to clean your insertion site due to infection risk and to make sure you're flushing the line everyday... But it keeps you moving! Don't forget to charge your IV pump, by the way!

This is what heart failure at the beginning of the heart transplant process looks like. Lots of medicine, bruises, fear, worry, and stress about whether you forgot to flush your IV line and may cause a blockage in your heart.

Home health nurses and doctors keep us moving and motivated during health issues when it seems impossible to do. Thank one today. And thank you to family and friends who are supporting us during this journey.