Hello Everyone

My name is Kayla Edwards and I am a close friend to Elizabeth Ledesma & her amazing family, The Fernandez’s. I am here today creating this GoFundMe to help support a truly deserving family in their time of profound need.

For those of us who have been fortunate enough to know the Fernandez family, we can all agree that they are hands down the most loving and welcoming family around. They can make anyone that comes in their presence feel as though they are also family, and they bring an indescribable light to the lives of those around them. They are extremely selfless and would give you the shirt of their backs in the middle of a thunderstorm if that was what you needed.

Many of you may already know the difficulties the Fernandez family has been going through for the past year, but for those that have not, or do not know the full severity of it; in December of 2022 Benjamin Fernandez was hospitalized for what they assumed was a stroke. He was immediately admitted to St Joseph’s in Stockton, CA and underwent multiple levels of testing. After the testing, the medical professionals agreed to send him over to UCSF in San Francisco for better and more in-depth care.

While at UCSF it was discovered that he came in contact with an extremely rare and aggressive fungal infection in his sinuses. Benjamin underwent multiple surgeries and procedures to try and remove the infection and remained at UCSF until February 2023. He was able to return home and welcome the birth of his grandson before he was re-admitted into UCSF due to the advancement of the fungal infection. During his hospital stays some of the procedures involved removing his pallet and putting him on a feeding tube.

His medical team worked around the clock to try and stop the spread of the infection but was halted when scans showed that the infection had made its way to the brain. They had to have a difficult conversation with the family, letting them know that they could not perform anymore procedures due to the infection’s presence in the brain. They were also limited due to his previous medical history.

Benjamin is a truly inspiring man, and his strength is unmatched, for he is a cancer survivor and a kidney transplant warrior. The aggressiveness of this fungal infection has caused a lot of additional health concerns during this time. The medication necessary to keep his kidneys functioning was contradictory to the medication required to keep the infection at bay; so, they made the decision to cease the use of his kidney medications resulting in kidney failure. Benjamin needed dialysis three times a week which caused additional stress on his body.

On Saturday 09/16/2023 the Fernandez family called the ambulance to pick up Benjamin due to a severe drop in his Blood Pressure and Heart Rate. He was admitted back into St Joseph’s under close observation. His breathing began to slow down and Sunday evening after speaking to his wife and daughters, he became unresponsive. He is still holding on and was taken home Tuesday 09/18/2023.

The Fernandez family is preparing for an extremely difficult chapter in their lives and need the support of those around them. It is our time to return the love and support that they have shown us in all our years past. Please take the time to honor this amazing man and his family, by either donating or simply sharing this fundraiser so we may have the ability to assist in their financial responsibilities with funeral arrangements and preparation so they can focus on the most important factor, being together as a family.

As I am writing this to all of you, the family is gathered in the comfort of their home cherishing their last moments with Benjamin Fernandez. Playing his favorite music and radiating true love from wall to wall, letting him know that he is a truly astonishing Husband, Father, Grandfather, and Brother.

Update:

It is with an extremely heavy heart that I must inform you that on Wednesday 9/20/2023 at 9:55am Benjamin Fernandez received his Angel Wings. Although he is no longer here in body, he is with us always in love and spirit. Funeral arrangements will be communicated when they become available. Thank you to everyone who has donated and shared so far, the impact you have made on this family is beyond words.