We are raising funds to help cover the funeral expenses and some of the medical costs for our beloved father, Sergio De Santiago.

On June 24th, our dad was admitted to the hospital for liver failure. While waiting for a transplant, his condition worsened, requiring additional tests before he could be transferred to another facility for evaluation. During this time, he was placed on continuous dialysis, pressors, and eventually a ventilator. In order to be considered for the transplant, he needed to come off all of these treatments—but every time doctors tried, his health would decline again.

For nearly two weeks, he was unable to eat and had to be fed through a feeding tube inserted in his nose. He also lost the ability to speak, which was incredibly frustrating for him. We never received a clear answer from the doctors or nurses as to why this happened. Watching him grow so frail, lose significant weight, and be confined to his bed without the ability to move was heartbreaking. He developed a bed sore and was also battling type 2 diabetes.

His initial hospital stay began because his liver had caused severe fluid buildup in his stomach. In just two days, doctors drained seven liters of fluid and discharged him. We felt in our hearts it was too soon for him to go home, but they insisted he was fine. Two days later, he was rushed back to the emergency room in severe pain, admitted again, and moved to the ICU. From there, his health declined rapidly. We stayed with him day and night, holding onto hope and refusing to leave his side.

The goal was to get him stable enough for the transplant evaluation. This meant transferring him from the first hospital to a second one, but he had to be off life support medications to make the move. We fought tirelessly to make it happen, and after almost three weeks in the ICU, he was finally transferred. We felt renewed hope—one step closer to the transplant he desperately needed.

At the new hospital, the liver specialist confirmed he was an excellent candidate for the transplant, but he still needed to be off the pressors and more stable before surgery. Some days were better than others—sometimes he could move his head or arms more, other days he was too weak to open his eyes. We encouraged him constantly, reminding him we were close to the goal.

We tried everything to keep his strength up, even making squeeze balls out of hospital socks so he could exercise his hands. Still, we felt helpless as we watched him grow weaker despite all our efforts.

Our father fought with everything he had, and we fought alongside him every step of the way. This fundraiser will help give him the farewell he deserves and ease the burden of the overwhelming medical costs left behind.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

May god reward you for your kindness, compassion, and support.