Melriza, or Rizza as she is known to her friends, is a single mother who has been living with end-stage renal disease for the past years. As a result of this disease, for the last four years, she has been on dialysis three a days a week. Rizza has struggled through many medical complications and hospitalizations, and now has been informed that her only chance at survival is to have a kidney transplant.

Currently, Melriza is on kidney transplant list at University Medical Center in Tucson, AZ. Because of the extraordinary expense of transplantation, funding this life-saving operation is a monumental task. Even with insurance, Melriza will have many uninsured transplant-related expenses such as: co-pays and deductibles, doctor visits, travel and temporary relocation housing near to the transplant center and the costly immunosuppressant medications which she will need to take for the rest of her life. This presents a financial challenge Rizza cannot meet alone.

To help offset her uninsured costs, a fundraising campaign in Melriza’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for more than 30 years. All contributions are tax-deductible, are held in the Southwest Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. You can help make a difference in Melriza’s life. Please consider making a contribution today by clicking the DONATE NOW button.

Thank you all for any help you can give.

Scott and Navarro family
[email protected]