Family and friends of Maria Davila are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with a transplant. Maria has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because donations are tax deductible for contributors and will only be used to cover medical and related expenses.
Maria was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when she was just three months old, and for her entire life she has learned to adapt to challenges most people never have to think about. While her disease has shaped many parts of her journey, it has also taught her to appreciate life’s simple moments and care deeply about the wellbeing of others. Beyond her diagnosis, Maria is a devoted daughter, big sister, aunt, girlfriend, friend, and proud cat mom to her two beloved cats. She has a warm, playful spirit, loves to laugh, and finds joy in nature, creativity, and movement—whether she’s hiking, paddle boarding, kayaking, practicing yoga, creating art, listening to music, or exploring California’s beautiful coastline. These experiences have inspired her belief that caring for our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing is something everyone deserves.
Everything we do in life begins with breathing. Yet for Maria, lately something as simple as bending down to pick something up, taking a casual stroll while catching up with a loved one, or even sharing a laugh can leave her breathless or trigger exhausting coughing fits, making it difficult to enjoy the moments she treasures most. Frequent hospitalizations and serious complications over the years have resulted in progressive lung damage, leading Maria to depend on supplemental oxygen as she prepares for the gift of a double lung transplant. Despite these challenges, she continues to focus on finding joy, hope, and purpose while looking toward a healthier future.
While a transplant offers hope for a healthier future, it also comes with significant financial challenges. Maria is fundraising to help cover transplant-related medical expenses and surgery costs not covered by insurance, lifelong transplant medications and co-pays, pulmonary rehabilitation, and the travel and temporary relocation required to remain close to her transplant team during recovery. Her recovery will also require a dedicated 24/7 caregiver for the first three to six months after surgery, creating additional financial burdens during an already difficult time.
Living with Cystic Fibrosis has taught Maria that wellness isn’t simply the absence of illness—it’s the ability to experience joy, connection, and purpose despite life’s challenges. Her hope is that a transplant will allow her to embrace life more fully: spending meaningful time with family and friends, returning to the places in nature that have always brought her peace, and continuing to encourage others to care for their own wellbeing. Maria has spent her life finding joy despite chronic illness. A transplant offers her the chance to embrace even more of the life she’s worked so hard to build.
If you would like to support Maria’s journey, please consider making a donation to her Help Hope Live campaign in her honor. If you’re unable to give, sharing her story with others is another meaningful way to help. Every act of kindness, generosity, and encouragement brings Maria one step closer to this new chapter, and she is deeply grateful for your support.
