Well, life really took a hard left turn in mid-2025.

One day we are enjoying the sunshine, amazing food, and people of Motul with zero debt and BOOM we find ourselves seven days away from being homeless and praying for a kidney.

My special needs son (23) and I (68) were basking in the sunshine living in Motul, Yucatan, Mexico, where we tried to walk this quaint little town at least two miles a day. One day we were walking to the local bodega and I got winded and stopped my son and responded, “This is weird! I’ve never gotten winded previously on any of our walks.”

Well, we took it a bit easy and stopped at one of the pharmacies with an attached doctor's office, which is the norm here. After an intensive talk and diagnosis by the awesome doctor, along with some blood tests, it was determined I had anemia. Receiving some medication and instructions, we headed home.

A few days later in the morning, I awoke to MAJOR swelling in all my extremities. I couldn’t even put my shoes on!

My son had to lift my legs into the car so we could head back to the doctor's office.

After arriving, the doctor, who was on his lunch break, immediately had me come in and examined me. He gave us a prescription to go to a nearby ultrasound clinic immediately.

We arrived at the clinic, and they admitted me. Upon the completion of the tests, they sent the results to our doctor.

Our doctor sent us immediately to a specialist in the capital city, Merida. Our new specialist, upon further ultrasounds and testing, had us immediately go to the hospital for in-depth testing.

The news was not good. Complete “end-stage renal failure” and associated heart failure.

The doctor tried his best to get us immediately admitted to the hospital, yet they would not admit us without a $3,000 USD cash deposit. I had just maxed out my credit card paying the hospital's just-completed in-depth testing and had no other cash resources.

We discussed flying to the U.S.A. for treatment since my insurance would not pay anything outside the U.S.A. Our doctor was apprehensive of me flying in my condition, yet with no other options, he typed up a note as an “emergency flight” to the U.S.A. via Frontier Airlines.

We caught an “inDrive” (Uber type in Mexico) Friday to the Cancun airport, arriving 110 minutes prior to our paid flight's departure with only one small carry-on bag and our backpacks. Our driver got lost, or we would have arrived earlier.

We went directly to the Frontier Airlines counter and showed them our “emergency flight” declaration from our doctor, and they just blew us off and said, “You needed to arrive 120 minutes prior to the departure time.” After reaching a manager (?) and showing him our “doctor's note” and explaining we had no baggage to check, he said, “Go to the back of the line and we’ll talk to you after helping all those in front of you.”

About twenty minutes later, we worked ourselves to the front of the line. The “manager (?)” said he couldn’t do anything, and after much discussion, he said he would put us on a flight Monday and would NOT allow us to “stand by” on a later flight today, Friday.

Totally scared and confused, we found a nearby hotel we reserved and paid for through Monday. Frontier Airlines' only scheduled flight they would allow us on.

We spoke to my nephew and sister-in-law about what was happening. They called Delta Airlines and explained the situation, and they immediately got us on a Delta flight scheduled for Saturday, tomorrow. Delta was awesome, taking care of us and went the extra mile to be sure we were okay.

Strangely, that weekend we received an email that Frontier Airlines had canceled our Monday scheduled flight.

Well, late Friday night went from bad to worse. My son went to a nearby Burger King to get us something to eat, and I couldn’t really eat and just felt very poorly. I started to go in and out of consciousness, and my son would shake and yell at me to wake me up. It was a LONG night.

Early next morning, we caught a cab to the airport, and my son got me a wheelchair because I was completely exhausted and could only shuffle my feet.

We checked in at Delta Airlines, and they saw our distress and the doctor’s note and put us on an early direct flight to Salt Lake City with two open seats vs. our later flight. Miracle.

Again, the Delta crew was awesome. They took us to the gate personally and stayed with us until we were on the flight. How customer service should be handled.

Upon arriving in SLC, Delta had a wheelchair waiting for us and took us to my nephew's waiting car and off to Utah Valley Hospital, which was recommended to us for our situation.

I was pretty much “out of it” during admitting, and my nephew and son had to answer all their questions.

A new journey and many miracles. They were doubtful I’d make it through the night, let alone any kind of recovery.

I am now on dialysis three times a week with Davita, who has been great.

I have recovered enough through the kindness of nurses, doctors, technicians, therapists, etc., that I am now on a waiting list for a kidney.

With the minimal amount of social security I receive, all my credit cards now maxed out, and if not for the kindness of a cousin providing a temporary place to live, I would be homeless too. My son has been taken in by some friends. Tender mercies.

One day we are enjoying the sunshine, amazing food, and people of Motul with zero debt and BOOM we find ourselves seven days away from being homeless and praying for a kidney.

I believe firmly in “pay it forward” and have done so all my life. Now, as much as I hate to ask… We are in need of your kindness. Every dollar helps.

If you can’t help at this time yet would if you could, God bless you.