Marcelin Jurbina

“You think it will never happen to you… and then…they all begin to happen to you…” – Paul Auster

I was fine, until I wasn’t. Here’s the short version:

February 2025: I went in for my annual check-up and routine bloodwork. That’s when doctors noticed my liver enzymes were abnormal. From there, things declined quickly. Over the next seven months, I went through countless blood tests, scans, and procedures—including 2 ER visits that turned into a full hospital stays.

Now, I’m in the midst of the evaluation process for a Liver Transplant. My official diagnosis: Cryptogenic Cirrhosis of the Liver.

I’ve spent over 20 years in the fitness industry, with dance, Pilates, Functional Movement, and GYROTONIC® forming the backbone of everything I’ve done. Moving has always been my passion—I’m still holding on and teaching while I can—but I’m no longer able to personally move the way I used to. I miss it deeply. More than anything, I hope to get through this chapter quickly so I can return to doing what I love: feeling good in my body and helping others feel the same.

There’s no exact or estimated timeline for these situations. Once I get on the list, I could be on it for a week, three years, who knows. When I am fortunate enough to a match donor and undergo the procedure, I will be in the hospital for about a week. After that, my recovery could take anywhere from 3-12 months, depending how everything goes.

During these times I will not be able to work while I heal and regain my sense of self. I am currently feeling overwhelmed and exhausted in every way possible, trying to navigate the financial responsibility, alongside the day-to-day challenges I now face.

Any and all donations are greatly appreciated to assist in this now life-long journey of liver disease/transplantee. Even simply sharing my story with others so that they may be proactive and hopefully not find themselves walking in my shoes. Though my diagnosis and progression came out of nowhere, many types of liver disease sit silent for so many and can be detected early if the causes are known.

This page is also where I will be posting all my updates, so as to not be overloaded by remembering to individually update everyone on my current status. You can subscribe here (no donation necessary) and be notified of when I make an update.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and sending any & all support – financial/energetic/emotional/or otherwise. Words can’t express how fortunate I am to have such an amazing family, community, and network around me. It truly give me strength and fuels my determination to be well. I am so grateful.

Best in Health,

Marcelin (Marcie, MJ, etc.)

Marcelin has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because all donations are tax deductible for contributors and will only be used to cover medical and related expenses.