Heart Transplant Recovery with Rachel Barreto

Dear Friends and Family:

Hi! We are excited to share with you about a holiday miracle: Rachel Jane Estella Barreto received a heart transplant in November 2022 at Stanford Hospital!

Rachel Jane was born with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a rare, inherited form of heart disease. Growing up, Rachel managed with only mild symptoms. She is married, has four children, and works as a teleservice representative at Kaiser San Jose.

In 2020, however, as the pandemic spread, Rachel caught COVID-19, dangerously weakening her heart & causing congestive heart failure. Rachel's doctors advised her to get on the transplant list immediately. While the average patient waits 16 months for a match, Rachel was blessed with a heart after only 4 months, one week after her 38th birthday!

Rachel–a strong-willed fighter–was released from the hospital 2 weeks after her successful transplant & began the long journey of healing and recovery. Per doctors' orders, Rachel must stay within 15 minutes of Kaiser Santa Clara for frequent medical check-ups and in case of medical emergency until late December or early January 2023.

Since Rachel and her family live in the Central Valley (2 hours away from Kaiser), she and her husband Don have been paying out-of-pocket for hotels in Silicon Valley near the med center. Rachel's Mom Marleen and Don take shifts, giving around-the-clock care to Rachel, such as cooking special foods compatible with her immunocomprised status.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We have organized this GoFundMe to ease Rachel and Don's financial (& emotional) burden, as this life-changing event impacts their income. Monetary gifts will support their medical and household bills (e.g. meals, gas and transportation, kids' extra-curricular activities, etc.) and lodging near Kaiser Santa Clara.

Another way you can partner with Rachel is if you or someone you know is a Kaiser Permanente employee, you/they might be able to donate sick hours to Rachel, so she can keep her work status and health benefits. Please contact us for more info.

Rachel, her family, and community extend sincere thanks for your prayers, texts, calls, and visits. We also send gratitude to the donor family who gave Rachel the gift of life.

Please donate and share this GoFundMe link on social media.

Thank you for your consideration during this Season of Giving! Maraming salamat po!

In Health,

Jeannie Estella Celestial (Rachel's Cousin) & Sonia Millendez (Rachel's Cousin-In-Law)