Shari Fuertes

My name is Shari Fuertes, and I am a 64-year-old wife and mother. In 2012, I was diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC), a chronic autoimmune disease that gradually destroys the bile ducts and leads to liver failure. For the past 13 years, I have managed this disease with medication and regular monitoring, but recently it has progressed to cirrhosis, and I now urgently need a liver transplant to survive.

This transplant is not optional — it is literally a matter of life and death. I am in the process of being added to the transplant list at AdventHealth Liver Transplant Institute in Orlando, Florida, with surgery planned for June–July this year. My MELD score is currently 18, and time is critical. I will require a living donor, and I hope that one of my sons may be a match. It is crucial that a living donor match is found soon so that my condition does not worsen to the point where a full liver transplant becomes unavoidable.

The costs associated with this life-saving surgery are significant. While insurance will cover part of the procedure, I am seeking support to help cover:

– Transportation 2–3 times per week for 4–6 months after surgery.

– Housing near the hospital for pre-testing and post-operative care.

– Insurance deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses.

– Lifelong anti-rejection medication ($250/month for the first year, $200/month thereafter).

– Flights for my sons for donor testing and surgery.

Your support will directly help me receive the transplant I need to survive. Every donation, no matter the size, brings me closer to a second chance at life.

Please help me get the liver transplant that will save my life — your generosity truly makes survival possible.

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