#New kidney

#New life

#Lifetimeanti-rejectionpill

 

My name is Nikki Llana- Plaza. I am a single parent of two beautiful children. I am organizing this GoFundMe to raise funds for the Kidney Transplant of my daughter, Erika Daniel Plaza. I am her organ donor.

 

Erika’s activities before chronic kidney disease (CKD)

#TaekwondoBlackbelt

#Wushugoldmedalist

#1stsemesterBSNursing

 

Before the onset of the dreadful disease, Erika was young and healthy. She dedicated and committed eight (8) years of hard work, discipline and perseverance which gained her a blackbelt in Taekwondo. She had participated in several competitions all over the country (Philippines). Equipped with determination, physically and mentally, she bagged a gold medal in a Wushu competition held in Cebu in 2015. Wushu (or Kungfu) is another full-contact sport, which is a hard and soft complete Martial Arts. Back in her senior years, she yielded above-average grades while still being on top of her games.

 

 

 
Battling with IgA Nephropathy

#Dreadfulautoimmunedisease

#Nocure

#Genetics

 

Erika’s biopsy result confirmed she has IgA nephropathy. It is an autoimmune disease where her own antibodies attack her own body. In the hopes of prolonging, if not preventing, further damage to her kidneys, she was given high dose of intravenous steroids. Seemingly expected, Erika’s immune system plummeted which led her to frequent hospitalizations, which were mainly pulmonary congestions. The disease has not educated or warned us as to how limited Erika’s diet would be. She massively shed weight that it came to a point where she could barely stand tall and walk. Indeed, it was nothing but heartbreaking.

photo: Day 01 and Day 230 on steroids

Living with the “Artificial Kidney”

#Artificialkidneya.k.a. dialyser

#Epoinjection

#Uncomtrolledbp

#Shortnessofbreath

#Anemia

#Hypertensiveretinopathy

 

Witnessing your child fighting for his or her life is a nightmare to any parent. I witnessed Erika fought for hers not just once but two times. It’s a must that I had to endure. For two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019, she had two week-long ICU admissions, four ambulance trips to the ER, a right-before-my-eyes intubation and rushed trips to secure packed red blood cell (RBC) from one blood bank to another. It was in November 2019 when Erika almost lost her vision. The vivid colors around her were getting dimmer and dimmer every day. It was like a leach slowly devouring on her eyes until she couldn’t see anything at all. Her unregulated blood pressure, which hit the scale to as high as 180/140 mm Hg, consequently elevated her eye pressure posing a risk to optic nerve damage. We couldn’t be more grateful that her doctor did the right procedure to reverse back the damage to her eyes. After all those costly hospital admissions, different medications and dosages and a three-session per week hemodialysis, her doctors were able to stabilize her condition.

 

 

 

Work- up for the Kidney Transplant

#Bloodextractions

#bloodsendofftoNKTI

#HLAtissuetyping

#Panelreactiveantibodies(PRA)test

#CTrenalscan

#NuclearGFR

 

It was a grave concern that Erika had history of blood transfusions. There was a high possibility of failing the panel reactive antibodies (PRA) test. Twenty (20) bags consumed to be exact. We did not have a choice but to save my daughter’s life. We wouldn’t have survived her in any other way. Nonetheless, the good news came two weeks after our blood samples were sent to National Kidney Institute that we are a match and that there were no antibodies found in her body that would implicate problems of severe rejections in the future.

We are now on the last phase of the work up. Erika is still waiting to get cleared by her Ophthalmologist since she recently had a cataract extraction last April. Another test for resilience, I had to rush her to the ER at 1 o’clock in the morning (12 hours post op). Erika’s blood pressure did shoot up to 170/110mm Hg and her eyes literally bled covering almost whole of her right cheek. Thankfully, the redness on her eye is quickly going away. Hopefully, she’ll get her Ophthalmologist’s clearance this week.

 

 

 

 

A mother’s plea

#Erika’sKTmyeverydayprayer

#Prayingforsuccessfulsurgeryandrecovery

#Perpetuallygratefulforfamilyandfriends

 

I have learned a tremendous amount of strength from Erika. She defeated death several times. Thus, every single day is a celebration of her life. She is truly an embodiment of courage and hope. Giving up is never her option nor ours. At some point she may have found normalcy in living with the machines but it’s not what she deserves. As her mother, I’d do everything I can to bring back the life she used to have. It’s also a great relief that I’ve chosen not to smoke nor drink excessive alcohol, then there would have made an impact to my wellbeing and overall health today.

 

The total cost of kidney transplant is 1.2 million pesos (AUD37,000). Half of that will be paid for by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC). Your help will fund the remaining half which is P600,000 (AUD16,500) as well as fund the first three crucial months of Erika’s medication cost of P100,000.00 (AUD2,800) every month. My family has spent P250,000 (AUD6,700)for the work up.

 

I humbly ask any amount of help you can spare in this trying time of ours. I am very concerned that I won’t be able to return to work, perhaps in a couple more months in order to earn a living for my children.

For peso donations:

Gcash:  Erika Daniel Plaza
                 09661750940

BDO Unibank
Erika Daniel Plaza
Account#010230121896


Please watch Erika's 22nd birthday. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/p2Qkwkt2_ds