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In mid-September 2020, Maria woke up in excruciating pain but tried to continue on like it was a normal day. Later that evening, the pain had reached a point where she couldn't stand it any longer and went to the local ER. At the ER, the doctors told her she had chronic pancreatitis and calcifications within her pancreas. This is due to a genetic mutation called SP1NK which increases the chances of pancreas cancer as well as type one diabetes and calcifications. It is now Advanced Chronic Pancreatitis and she needs a very special surgery and transplant.
The pain stopped everything in Maria's life: sports, school, and social life. Her grades dropped significantly from not being able to focus from both pain and pain medication. She was no longer able to perform as the goalie for Virginia Tech's Club Water Polo team which isolated her from the sport and team she loved. Most days, Maria was unable to get out of bed which prevented her from seeing friends or being there for clubs.
Eight months later with constant, excruciating pain, 11 visits to the hospital, three ERCPs, a nerve block, and a rerouting surgery, Maria's dynamic medical team at Duke University Medical Center referred her to 1 of only 10 Special Auto-Islet Transplant Centers in the Nation, UNC Chapel HIll Medical Hospital. The Specialists (Dr. Desai, one of the top Specialists in the world) have decided it was time to opt for total pancreatectomy with an auto-islet cell transplant (TPIAT).
This is a 10 to 12-hour surgery and means that the surgeons will totally remove her pancreas, spleen, and gallbladder. After the removal, the pancreas will be blended down to where it is just the healthy cells that make insulin (the islet cells) and will be infused (transplanted) into her liver. If all goes well, Maria's liver will function as her pancreas.
This surgery is extremely expensive and as of May 2, the insurance still refuses to cover any of it. Please consider donating to her GoFundMe and helping Maria return to her healthy college life. All donations are extremely appreciated as well as sharing. The money will be used towards her surgery, all other medical expenses, as well as costs for providing housing for her parents in Chapel Hill while she's in the hospital for 3 to 4 weeks following surgery.
Please Share this story with as many friends and their friends as you can. (Just hit the SHARE button)
Thank You for helping Maria get this special transplant surgery as soon as possible.
The pain stopped everything in Maria's life: sports, school, and social life. Her grades dropped significantly from not being able to focus from both pain and pain medication. She was no longer able to perform as the goalie for Virginia Tech's Club Water Polo team which isolated her from the sport and team she loved. Most days, Maria was unable to get out of bed which prevented her from seeing friends or being there for clubs.
Eight months later with constant, excruciating pain, 11 visits to the hospital, three ERCPs, a nerve block, and a rerouting surgery, Maria's dynamic medical team at Duke University Medical Center referred her to 1 of only 10 Special Auto-Islet Transplant Centers in the Nation, UNC Chapel HIll Medical Hospital. The Specialists (Dr. Desai, one of the top Specialists in the world) have decided it was time to opt for total pancreatectomy with an auto-islet cell transplant (TPIAT).
This is a 10 to 12-hour surgery and means that the surgeons will totally remove her pancreas, spleen, and gallbladder. After the removal, the pancreas will be blended down to where it is just the healthy cells that make insulin (the islet cells) and will be infused (transplanted) into her liver. If all goes well, Maria's liver will function as her pancreas.
This surgery is extremely expensive and as of May 2, the insurance still refuses to cover any of it. Please consider donating to her GoFundMe and helping Maria return to her healthy college life. All donations are extremely appreciated as well as sharing. The money will be used towards her surgery, all other medical expenses, as well as costs for providing housing for her parents in Chapel Hill while she's in the hospital for 3 to 4 weeks following surgery.
Please Share this story with as many friends and their friends as you can. (Just hit the SHARE button)
Thank You for helping Maria get this special transplant surgery as soon as possible.