New Kidney New Life: Single Mom’s dialysis journey

My name is Cynthia Davila and for those that don’t know me: I’m a 30 yr old woman with kidney failure and on hemo-dialysis.

I do dialysis three days per week at a dialysis center in Baytown, Texas.
Each session lasts four hours for each patient.

The most tragic part about this and everything that I am going through is that I experienced
“acute kidney failure” rather than “ckd” or
chronic kidney disease.
The major difference is TIME.
Acute kidney failure happens very quickly and almost overnight while CKD is chronic and damages the kidneys inevitably and always 
over a long period of time.

In August of 2019 I had a kidney biopsy after some of my regular labs showed some inflammation to the kidneys.
My doctor said it was most likely being caused by Lupus Nephritis (autoimmune disorder that attacks and damages the kidneys).
I had Lupus for most of my life and therefore not surprised by the depressing news.

My doctor suggested that I start chemotherapy infusions right away in order to “save” my kidneys from further damage. I was told that since the biopsy didn’t show much scarring on the kidneys then I was a perfect candidate for
Chemotherapy infusions. 

Unfortunately, my body did not handle the extremely harsh chemotherapy infusions.
I was able to get 3 out of 6 infusions total.
But by the third month and third infusion,
I was bedridden and unable to keep any food or fluids in my stomach.

I ended up having a stroke and severe seizures that almost killed me on December 19, 2019.
I was in a coma for a few days and doctors were 
exceedingly unsure about whether I would be able to make it out alive. They informed my family about my critical condition and confessed to them that even if I were to survive, there would be a high possibility of severe brain damage meaning that I would potentially be brain dead.

Yet, God had other plans for me and after 3 days and 3 nights I finally opened my eyes.

I have a beautiful and intelligent six year old daughter and she relies on me for everything because I also happen to be a single mother.

Despite everything that I have been through with my family because they have suffered as well, I focus on my daughter and try my best to keep positive and move forward with my life. 

I was in the process of being added to the kidney transplant list with St. Lukes because Memorial Hermann actually denied me due to the fact that my insurance was out of network.
However, I don’t have medical insurance anymore because it was terminated.

I purchased medical insurance through the marketplace about a year ago for the purpose of getting on the transplant list. 

In order to get placed on the kidney transplant list or any organ transplant list the patient must have medical insurance coverage.

My insurance coverage was terminated because I could not prove that I have legal status in the US. I am a DACA recipient and have a work permit as well as a driver’s license.

My work permit is only very temporary and I have to renew it every 2 years. However, I am unable to work because I am disabled medically.
If I was a us citizen then I could apply for Medicare and Social Security Disability but unfortunately I don’t qualify for that either.

I am asking for a living donor first and foremost.
My mother is unable to donate because she is the person who will help take care of me during the recovery process after transplant. 
But also, she has to take care of my daughter and that makes it impossible for her to be my living donor. 

Secondly, I am asking for donations to help me reach my goal of $1million to afford my kidney transplant surgery and aftercare at hospital. 

Without medical insurance I will not be able to receive a kidney transplant until my legal status changes and the only way that will happen is if the government will allow DACA recipients to finally go through a process of changing their legal status. 

If I am able to fundraise the money needed to pay for the kidney transplant surgery and some of the hospital aftercare then I can deposit the money into an account with the hospital. 

I know that sounds like an impossible feat but I am not giving up and I will fight to stay alive. 
Being a single mother means that I have to work twice as hard to care for my daughter.
I love her more than life itself and I know that if I am able to get a kidney transplant I will be able to regain a semi-normal life. 
Life on dialysis is not easy, very exhausting, and life draining. 

My daughter and I need your help!
Can you please help us??

Please *SHARE* this and help a loving mother reach her goal for her daughter!
Thank you and God bless you!