Ira Mendoza

Those of you who know Ira know that she is a beautiful, generous and talented woman. She has been a loving wife, sister, aunt, daughter and friend. Ira has been a business owner on Cape Cod, having been the Chef/Owner of Ay! Caramba Cafe in both Harwich and Falmouth for eight years.

We all know life is unpredictable; a random event can change a life forever. This happened to Ira. Nine years ago, she contracted E-coli, and it severely damaged both her kidneys. For the past nine years Ira’s kidney function has remained relatively stable. Recently, there has been a rapid decline and her health has suffered. Her only chance to return to good health is a kidney transplant.

We believe we may have found Ira a kidney. If all continues to go well, a friend, Cape Cod resident, Kristin Stewart, will be donating her kidney.

Transplants are life-saving but financially draining. Even with insurance, Ira is facing very high expenses including travel to and from Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, post-transplant medications of up to $1,200 a month, co-pays, lab fees and more. In addition, Ira will be unable to work for several months after she receives her transplant. Her donor will also incur expenses as she misses time from work during her recovery from donating her kidney, as well as travel expenses to and from the hospital.

To help with the financial burden of Ira’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in her 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 Northeast Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only. Please consider making a contribution. Click Donate Now.

Gratefully,

Judy Blatchford, Ira’s wife