Get Walter a chance to live
Donation protected
Four years ago, Walter Castillo learned that the polycystic kidney disease he was born with entered its terminal stage. In order to save his life, his sister donated him a kidney. However, to make sure that his immune system doesn’t reject the new kidney, Walter requires constant medication.
Through hard work (Walter is a talented ballet dancer as well as a choreographer) and a friend’s help, he was able to afford this treatment; that came to an end a year ago, when the Venezuelan economy collapsed and the medicine he needs became unavailable in the country.
His only hope is to purchase them from overseas, but at costs unaffordable to him (upwards of $10 K for 4 years - Walter requires 3 medicines : rapamune, myfortic and Prednisona). This is why his friend Carmen Helena (a former ballet colleage, also from Venezuela and living in Bethesda, Maryland) is stepping up and creating a GoFundMe for Walter to help purchase the medicine for the treatment in neighboring Colombia and send it to him
More details about me and my relationship with Walter
1- my name is Carmen Helena Ruzza. I am a professor at American University in Washington DC and completed my PhD studies at the University of Maryland. I am a US citizen (born in New York), however I spent part of my childhood and teens years in Venezuela (my parents are from there)
2 - Walter Castillo (person I am raising money for) is a former ballet colleague I met in my teen years in Venezuela. He is also a dear friend who approached a year ago asking for support. My husband and I donated him last year $400 worth of medicine we sent to Venezuela
3 - Walter requires a dosis of 3 medicines that allow his body not to reject the kidney his sister donated to him. Medicines are : Myfortic 360 mg (120 capsules per month), Rapamune 1 mg (60 per month), and prednisone 5 mg (30 per month). Money will be used to purchase and send him the medicine
4 - plan is to withdraw all funds to buy the medicine for him and send it as soon as possible
Thanks
Through hard work (Walter is a talented ballet dancer as well as a choreographer) and a friend’s help, he was able to afford this treatment; that came to an end a year ago, when the Venezuelan economy collapsed and the medicine he needs became unavailable in the country.
His only hope is to purchase them from overseas, but at costs unaffordable to him (upwards of $10 K for 4 years - Walter requires 3 medicines : rapamune, myfortic and Prednisona). This is why his friend Carmen Helena (a former ballet colleage, also from Venezuela and living in Bethesda, Maryland) is stepping up and creating a GoFundMe for Walter to help purchase the medicine for the treatment in neighboring Colombia and send it to him
More details about me and my relationship with Walter
1- my name is Carmen Helena Ruzza. I am a professor at American University in Washington DC and completed my PhD studies at the University of Maryland. I am a US citizen (born in New York), however I spent part of my childhood and teens years in Venezuela (my parents are from there)
2 - Walter Castillo (person I am raising money for) is a former ballet colleague I met in my teen years in Venezuela. He is also a dear friend who approached a year ago asking for support. My husband and I donated him last year $400 worth of medicine we sent to Venezuela
3 - Walter requires a dosis of 3 medicines that allow his body not to reject the kidney his sister donated to him. Medicines are : Myfortic 360 mg (120 capsules per month), Rapamune 1 mg (60 per month), and prednisone 5 mg (30 per month). Money will be used to purchase and send him the medicine
4 - plan is to withdraw all funds to buy the medicine for him and send it as soon as possible
Thanks
Organizer
Carmen Helena Ruzza Rosenblat
Organizer
Bethesda, MD
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