Please consider donating towards finding a diagnosis & cure.

Hello Family, Friends, and my community at large.

For those who don’t know me personally, my name is Hein Hillmer. I’m a 33-year-old male born and raised in South Africa who has since resided alone in the USA from 2011 until now. I have quite the zest for life, love for my community, environment, and found passion in my calling to become a Nurse after losing my job as a PTA to COVID. I was left unemployed, searching within to find both my calling and passion. I started working in the hospital as a patient care tech during the second wave of COVID and knew this was where I was meant to be all along.

In April 2024, I was let go from my contract job as a Travel CNA due to kidney issues and my employer not supporting “interim light duty work.” Though unemployed for almost a year (again), I struggled to make ends meet, lost my home, lost my car, but was so blessed for the friends that took me in during this time of reset and fragility.

My blessing in disguise came my way as I got accepted into the PCT program for MD Anderson Cancer Center. Despite having ailments, they took a chance on me.

I’ve been working there for 7 months now and love my job with all my heart and soul. Recently, however, my kidneys seemed to have remained in remission but started back up again in February of this year. Last month, I was diagnosed with Chronic Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) along with several gastrointestinal issues, continued urinary & kidney issues leading to Gout, and now what seems to be fibromyalgia as we continue testing me for various cancers and other autoimmune issues. Though grateful for affordable insurance, the frequency of my physician visits, specialist visits, and procedures are hefty and out of pocket until my deductible/OOP is met.

I have never been one to ask for help for myself, because I’ve always found a way on my own, though resilience is a wonderful characteristic trait, I’ve now been pushed into a corner of “I’m stuck.” How do I continue my healing journey when I can’t afford all these procedure bills even when broken down in payments?

After landing up in the ER 4 times already this year, going to 5 different specialists as we now await more specialist visits to figure out what is going on inside of me, and the need for a registered nutritionist to help curate a plan to get nutrients back in my body, I’ve yet again had to postpone my nursing school classes and focus on my health. 

I am here asking, arms wide open for help from my family, friends, and online community for any kind of donation to help me with my medical expenses.

I’ve gone from being a shimmering bright star full of smiles and giggles to a grey cloud - with some nights struggling to even pull off a full night/shift at work, fall sleep and no longer able to workout. Though I try to hide as much as I can behind my smile, it gets more difficult each day, sometimes even getting out of bed and clean up after myself. 

No matter what or how sore, I pledge to always show up for those who need me, especially my patients, and I hope I am just blessed enough to continue this journey being at bedside and becoming a Registered Nurse no matter the hurdles of life. 

I’d like to say that for those who know me (close or not), I’ve always been the kind of person where if I could, I’d give you the shirt off my back, give my last $10, or let you eat the last macaroon. But today, all I have to offer is myself in all my vulnerability as I seek financial assistance in finding out how to cure me.

This seems like such a crazy ask, I know, but sometimes it takes something a little crazy to drive results.

If you are able to help donate towards my cure and cause, I am forever grateful and indebted to you because anything counts. If you are unable to donate (trust me, I understand right now we all may not be in the best place or place we want or expected to be financially), I ask if you could please share my story in hopes someone else could. ❤️‍

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

All my love,

Hein K. Hillmer