Maria Patino

You Can Make a Difference

Dear Friends and Family,

Before asking for your help, I would like to first thank you for being here for me throughout my medical odyssey. I can call it that, right? It definitely has been a long, wandering, and eventful journey as Google’s dictionary defines it. However, my kidney disease has brought me a lot of good things as well and being surrounded by people who love and support me has been one of the greatest things I continue to receive every day.

My medical journey began when I was 14 years old. Those were the years I was thin, lanky and wore glasses. (Actually, I’m pretty much the same person; I have just learned to embrace it!) I was diagnosed with glomerulonephritis (super long name, I know), which is an inflammation of the kidney filters that help clean out the blood. My antibodies had gone haywire and had attacked my kidneys. With the right medication and chemotherapy, doctors were able to stabilize me and I continued to have enough kidney function to continue on with my semi-normal life with some restrictions.

Fast-forward to May of 2013, I was preparing myself for my big graduation at the University of Texas. I was finally going to be a Texas graduate and go out and work in the career field that I love! Unfortunately, a flare-up of my kidney disease came back and wiped out the rest of my kidney function, leading to end stage renal disease. I am on peritoneal dialysis at home, which, though better than the in-center hemodialysis, is still no fun.

Today, I am waiting for my kidney transplant, which will restore me to good health once again. Transplants are life-saving but very expensive. There are many costs that aren’t covered by insurance. To help with this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in my 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 South-Central Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

I am so fortunate to have an awesome medical team and an awesome family who are helping me through my journey. Thank you for your support and generosity.

Maria Patino