Dear Friend, Family and Community:

Dad is the loving husband of our mother, Maria Isabell, a wonderful father, grandfather and good friend to many. He is a hard worker, always has a big smile, has a way of making you look at the brighter side of situations even his own. We like to describe our dad as the “no man’s stranger”, he is quick to make friends with people he meets and leave others with a lasting memory of himself. Dad is dedicated to his work and keeping life simple and as normal as possible while undergoing numerous medical procedures and hospital visits.

As you can imagine the expense of a transplant is overwhelming. Even with insurance there are many expenses that must be paid for out of pocket. Some of these are deductibles, co-pays, travel and relocation expenses and Dad will be on a life-time of anti-rejection medications. Due to the severity of Dad’s current condition, my parents will be relocating to Jacksonville, Florida in hopes that he will receive a liver faster while being on the wait list at the Mayo Clinic there. Our Mom will need to leave her job to be his caregiver while he awaits this life-saving transplant. This puts our family up against a challenge that we cannot meet alone and need your help.

A fundraising campaign in Dad’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible are held by HelpHOPELive in the Southwest Liver Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. For those who are able and would like to contribute, select the “Donate Now” button or see the “Mailing a Check?” section of this page.

On behalf of Dad, Mom and our family, we thank you for your kindness, generosity, support and prayers.

Justina Sierra Joanna Gutierrez Albert Gutierrez
[email protected]