Hello my name is Alondra Orozco. I am a student at the University of Nevada, Reno. I was diagnosed with Lupus and chronic kidney disease 2 years ago. I have constantly been in and out of the hospital since then.

Prior to my diagnosis, I was consistently sick and was in and out of the hospital since July 2014. It was hard to keep up with my school work. Doctors eventually did a biopsy in March 2015 and that’s when it was confirmed….I was sick. I had an incurable disease. This illness took a big toll on my family financially. I was hospitalized for more than two weeks and frequented the ER. It was expensive. Since the disease was very advanced, I had no other choice, but to do chemotherapy otherwise I’d go into kidney failure.

Ever since I was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease and Lupus in March, it has been hard to adjust to the life I had and get back on my feet. Lupus has many side effects that I still have to get used to that interfere with my daily life such as swelling, fatigue, nausea, migraines, muscle and joint pain. With all of this I was also hurt emotionally; from losing my hair due to chemotherapy to losing my sense of self. I will face these physical and emotional challenges on a day to day basis for the rest of my life. Besides all the horrible side effects, I plan to continue going to college, being part of organizations on campus, finding a job, and eventually going to medical school. It has always been a dream of mine to become a doctor and I don’t plan on letting this disease win! 

My kidney function was so low last year that I had to start dialysis right away. Ever since then, my dad decided he wanted to be my life savior and got tested to be my kidney donor. He was a match! We've been traveling back and fourth out of the state to get tested in order to be in perfect shape for surgery. The transplant board at UC Davis apporved our case and said we were ready for surgery. My dad and I are scheduled to have surgery in May. The financial coordinator at UC Davis said our out-of-pocket cost is going to be anywhere from $10,000-$15,000 for both of us to have surgery. So my family and I would really appreciate your help in this gift of life procedure. Thank You!