Esli Santiago

Esli Needs Your Support!

When Esli Santiago was just 40 years old, his life was thrown into upheaval when he was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), an autoimmune disease that effects the spinal column and the joints throughout the body creating severe, chronic pain. It can also effect major organs, the urinary tract, digestive system and eyes. After the many, many years dealing with the progression of this disease and failed attempts at traditional medicine, Esli has learned his only hope to regain his health is a stem cell transplant.

Born and raised in beautiful Puerto Rico, Esli lived a very active lifestyle. He enjoyed working out, running, and playing basketball. He prided himself on being a hard worker. In 1997 Esli made the decision to leave his home and move to the United States in pursuit of a better life, one with abundant opportunities. In 2001, he was blessed with the birth of his first child, Edlisa and, in 2002, he was doubly blessed with a second daughter, Kassandra. He was a wonderful father who took to it naturally and yet he found himself in a battle for custody of his girls. With the love and support of his wife Sarah, whom he married in 2008, he was granted full custody a year later. From that point forward he was determined to provide nothing but the best for his young family.

In 2012 Esli began to feel ill. After seeing doctor after doctor, undergoing extensive testing, surgeries and failed treatments, he received the diagnosis that changed his life: Ankylosing Spondylitis. His health declined rapidly forcing Esli to give up his active lifestyle. To see such a vibrant man, struggle with extreme difficulty to work and provide for his family is heartbreaking. Ultimately, he could no longer do his job and now may lose the home he created for his family. He prays he can maintain the medical insurance that covered them all.

Esli refused to give up. Through his research, he found a reputable facility in California called Stemgenex. Their stem cell therapy may halt or even reverse the progression of his illness. This is the hope Esli longed to find but insurance will not cover the cost. He needs to raise $14,000 for the treatment plus airfare from Ohio to California and lodging during his stay. This is a challenge he cannot face alone. Esli needs your support!

To help with the financial burden of Esli’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in his honor has been established with Help Hope Live, 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 to the full extent allowed by law, are held by Help Hope Live in the Great Lakes Stem Cell Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only. Please consider a contribution.

For credit card contributions, please click the Donate Now button.

Your support is critical to the overall success of Esli’s struggle to return to a life where he is able to work and care for his family. Thank for your kind thoughts, support and generosity.

Sarah, Edlisa and Kassandra Santiago
(Esli’s wife and 2 daughters)
216-394-1017
[email protected]