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Mariela Chavez, a single mother of five, is in need of a liver transplant and needs the help of her community to make it happen. The transplant is lifesaving but very expensive.
Mariela was diagnosed eight years ago with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) of the liver. This is a chronic, or long-term, disease of the liver that slowly destroys the medium-sized bile ducts within the liver. Bile is a digestive liquid that is made in the liver. It travels through the bile ducts to the small intestine, where it breaks down fat into fatty acids. In patients with PBC, the bile ducts are destroyed by inflammation. This causes bile to remain in the liver, where gradual injury damages liver cells and causes cirrhosis or scarring of the liver. As cirrhosis progresses and the amount of scar tissue in the liver increases, the liver loses its ability to function and prevents blood from the intestines from returning to the heart.
Mariela’s everyday battle is fighting fatigue, trying to focus, and still being able to work. Because she is a single mother and is the only source of income to support her children, she cannot manage to stop working as doctors have recommended. Currently she is taking different medications that help with the symptoms of PBC but are in no way a cure. Mariela is finding it more difficult each day to maintain a normal life and to focus on everyday tasks. The only hope for a cure is a liver transplant. Thankfully, Mariela is on a waiting list for transplantation.
Transplants are lifesaving but financially draining. Even with insurance, Mariela is facing very high expenses she will have to pay for out-of-pocket including travel to and from the center, co-pays, anti-rejection medications she will have to take for the rest of her life, and more. It is adding up to more than she can handle alone.
To help with the financial burden of Mariela Chavez’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in her honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the South-Atlantic Liver Transplant Fund Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Please consider a donation.
For credit card contributions, please click the yellow Donate Now button.
Your support is critical to the overall success of Mariela’s struggle. Please know that your contribution counts. Thank you in advance for your prayers, support and generosity.
With sincere gratitude,
Reina Espinosa (Mariela’s sister)
571-447-1172
My name is Mariela Chavez. I am writing this letter base on my health conditions.
I am reaching out to the community with my ultimate request for a living liver donor.
My need is for a living liver transplant I will like to let you know about my current health
challenges and how you could help.
This is not an easy letter to write but I know that, without sending this, someone who might be
interested in helping won't have the opportunity.
In 2007 after having my fourth child I began to develop unusual symptoms, which included
itching all over my body, dark urine, fatigue, and sleepless nights. All unusual and very
discomfort feelings.
It was a month after giving birth that I decided to go see my primary care doctor. He put me
through all kinds of exams, testing’s and ultra sounds. I was getting annoyed because not even
my own Doctor was able to tell me what could be wrong and the agony of waiting for all kinds
of results to come back was just frustrated.
Finally my doctor received the results of all the above and even then said to me, that he was not a
hundred percent sure but he thought it could be Lupus or some kind of Auto Immune Disorder.
So, I was then sent to do more testing including a biopsy of the liver.
Well, the biopsy did it. I was diagnosed with "PBC" Primary Biliary Cirrhosis of the liver along
with Auto Immune Hepatitis.
I was scared and mad at the world, because I never thought this would ever happen to me. To
make my past 8 years short, I was put under different prescriptions to help me feel better. The
treatment focuses on reducing symptoms, preventing and treating the complications of the
disease, and preventing other conditions that may cause additional liver damage. It also helps
move bile out of the liver and into the small intestine. If it is used early enough, it can improve
the symptoms. However in the past three years my symptoms have worsened, I now have
developed Jaundice of the skin, yellow of the eyes. With more advanced liver damage, I have
now more complications related to Virrhosis such as:
Fluid buildup in the abdomen (ascites).
Bleeding of enlarged veins in the esophagus, stomach, and rectum (variceal bleeding).
Premature thinning of the bones (osteoporosis).
To the point that only a transplant can cure my health.
A Liver transplant is considered when the liver no longer functions adequately (liver failure).
Liver failure can happen suddenly (acute liver failure) as a result of infection or complications
from certain medications, for example. Liver failure can also be the end result of a long-term
problem. The following conditions may result in chronic liver failure
Chronic hepatitis with cirrhosis.
Primary biliary cirrhosis (a rare condition where the immune system inappropriately
attacks and destroys the bile ducts)
Sclerosing cholangitis (scarring and narrowing of the bile ducts inside and outside of the
liver, causing the backup of bile in the liver.
I have from the very beginning told by the doctors that:
The exact cause of PBC is unknown. But it may be related to a problem with the immune system,
which is the body's natural defense system.
I need a new liver and I hope you will consider being tested to be a donor.
The reason why I am reaching out to you is because one of my family members that have
considered to be a donor are not able to, due to health issues involve.
There's benefit to receiving a living donor. Receiving a liver from a living donor, the liver last
twice as much of a deceased donor and I am able to tolerate the transplant now than if I wait
longer.
I know this is a big request but I like to continue to devote every day of my life making a
difference to the most precious gifts I have, my 5 children, family and friends.
If you can help, please do so. If you know of anyone might please forward this on!!
If you would like to learn more about liver transplant
, please call or visit the below information
Thank you so much!!!
Web. Hopkinsmedicine.org/livertransplant
phone : 410-614-2989
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Make checks payable to:
Help Hope Live
Note in memo:
In honor of Mariela Chavez
Mail to:
Help Hope Live
2 Radnor Corporate Center
Suite 100
100 Matsonford Road
Radnor, PA 19087
Donor preference is important to us. Please specify in writing if you wish for your name or donation amount to be kept private.
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