Main fundraiser photo

Hope for Leina

Donation protected
Hello,  Leina is a 22 year old college student studying to become a nurse.  She is also my very dear friend Tamaki's daughter.  Tamaki and I grew up together in Japan and have been friends since we were 9 years old. Tamaki  moved to the US with Leina and her two brothers when Leina was 8.   I set up this Go Fund Me website in effort to raise funds for a Kidney transplant which Leina has to have.  Leina has Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, which is an auto-immune disease that attacks the body by making the body believe something is wrong when nothing is. The body's own white blood cells can attack all major organs of the body, including the heart, skin, lungs, brain, kidneys, and blood vessels. However, each individual case is different in its signs and symptoms. There is no set pattern to how lupus progresses in a person, which is why it's so difficult to treat. Leina's main problems with Lupus seem to be focused primarily on her kidneys, which when she first was diagnosed at the age of 14, was the major organ attacked. She  had surgery to remove a section of her intestinal tract which the lupus killed, She has suffered a very bad case of Shingles caused by the Lupus, and multiple ailments all related to the Lupus.

After about a 2 to 2 1/2 year battle, her Lupus seemed to go into remission. She eventually got better, had a good drug regimen, and all seemed well. She got on with her life which included being awarded enough scholarships to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse in which she is now in her 4th year of nursing school at the University of Wyoming. She is a very bright, gifted and talented young woman and will make a very good nurse someday. Yet despite everything, the Lupus came out of remission and re-attacked her kidneys sending her once again to the hospital, only this time her kidneys are in worse shape than ever. While in the hospital the doctors determined that Leina has less than 15% kidney function left, putting her at End Stage Renal Disease. They also did a biopsy and found that she will need a transplant. She currently has been allowed to go home, but has to get hemodialysis 3 times a week while still attending school until she can go to Denver to see if she is a good candidate for a transplant. There are several people willing to donate a kidney but all that is yet to be determined. Her doctor says that people with Lupus usually do very well with kidney transplants and we pray this is the case for her.

current medical condition:
As of November, Leina is home and her condition is stable. She is receiving hemodialysis for three hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. She has to modify her diet to fit the renal diet regimen, which consists of low potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and liquid. She is currently on beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors to control her blood pressure, as it runs high without proper kidney function. As with many dialysis patients, she gets pretty wiped out after each dialysis session but is still continuing to study and attend classes.

Leina is a fighter, she is like a breath of fresh air and a blessing to those around her.  She has so much to give in her life.  Will you please help her and her family by making a donation? No matter how small, it is appreciated very much. 

皆様 はじめまして

麗奈は、看護師になるために勉強している22才の大学生です。 彼女は、私のとても大事で仲良しの友人、タマキの娘です。 私と環は9才の時からの友達で、日本で学生時代を共にしました。 麗奈が8才の時、環は麗奈と麗奈の2人の兄弟を連れてアメリカへ引っ越しました。
このたび私は麗奈の腎臓移植のための資金を集めるためにこのGo Fund Meウェブサイトを
立ち上げました。 麗奈は膠原病です。膠原病 とは、全身の複数の臓器に炎症が起こり、臓器の機能障害をもたらす自己免疫疾患の病気です。この病気は、本来自己防衛するため、外部から進入した物質を攻撃すべき白血球が、自分自身の心臓、皮膚、肺、脳、腎臓と血管を含む体のすべての主要器官を攻撃してしまうものです。 麗奈は14歳の時、膠原病を発症して腎臓や腸などの主要な器官に障害を受け、腸管の一部を切除する手術を受けました。そして彼女は膠原病に起因する様々な症状に苦しみました。
 2年半にわたる闘病生活の後、薬剤併用療法を受けて彼女の膠原病は沈静化し健康を取り戻したようでした。 その時に受けた医療がきっかけで、彼女は看護師になろうと決意しました。その後彼女は勉学に励み、ワイオミング大学の看護学校に奨学金生として入学し4年生になりました。
彼女は非常に明るくて、努力家で、若く才能のある優秀な女性で、もうすぐその夢をかなえて非常に素晴らしい看護婦になろうとしています。 そうした矢先に、彼女はまた膠原病を発症し、その障害は以前から傷めていた腎臓に集中しました。 緊急入院した病院で担当医が下した診断は、2つの腎臓とも正常の15%未満しか機能しておらず、通常の生活に戻るには腎臓移植が必要というものでした。 彼女は、現在、週3回の血液透析を受けつつ、卒業するために学校に通いながら、腎臓移植していただけるドナーの方を探している状況です。
すでに腎臓を提供して下さる意思のある人が数人おられますがまだ決まっておりません。
お医者様の話では膠原病患者は腎臓移植をすることにより膠原病自体がよくなるということです。
現在の病状: 11月現在、麗奈は大学の寮に戻り、緊急を要する状況から抜けました。 彼女は、毎週月曜日、水曜日、金曜日の三回、3時間の血液透析を受けながら勉強を続けています。 彼女は腎臓への負担を軽減するために厳格な食事療法が必要です。それは透析患者用の食事であり減塩、減カリウム、減リン、低タンパクかつ摂取できる水分も厳しく制限され、若い彼女には 極めて厳しく過酷なものです。

皆様ご存知のようにアメリカでは医療費がとても高額で、特に腎臓移植には多大な費用が必要になり手術費用だけで(270,000ドル)が必要になります。これは一般の家庭ではとても賄えない額です。
 
どうか皆様の暖かい寄付で、彼女と彼女の家族を助けていただけないでしょうか?

どんなに僅かでも結構ですのでどうぞ宜しくお願い致します。
Maya Grim

-----------------------------------------------------------

Organizer

Maya Grim
Organizer
San Diego, CA

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.