“Hope begins when we choose not to look away.”

My name is Gus Troncoso (gustavotroncoso.com), Chairman of the Board of UNI-2 International Non-Profit Foundation (uni-2.org). Help me help Mr. J and Lily, they both deserve a life. Can you believe this man is my age and my neighbor, yes, my neighbor?

I just moved into our new place in the best neighborhood in the city, but I just can't go to bed every night and enjoy my blessings, while ignoring Mr. J's and Lily's condition and pretending I do not see them every time I leave my house to go to the supermarket, the office, go to lunch with associates or to the movies.

I just moved into the best neighborhood in the city and found a man my same age that lives in the suers underneath the ground and has no hope left in life. I just cant drive every day by him and pretend that I do not see him. He is obviously been eaten by the animals that live down there and the levels of infection clearly seen in his skin are rampant. I cant live in the best neighborhood in the city and be happy going to bed every night knowing this man is living in a rat's hole.

We have been helping him daily with some things but he needs a lot more that my family can give him. This man needs a place to stay, medical attention, a non-infected place to sleep and a human life instead of a rat's life (no offense to rats). This a a human being, Gods creation in his image and we cant ignore this this man and "Lily" his faithful partner.

He could be in a shelter, in a much better condition, but he made a choice I fully respect.

Its his wellbeing, and if he abandons his faithful partner Lily, he could be admitted into a shelter, but his love for Lily goes all the way to putting his life on the line for his partner.

Ohh, what an idiot you might think, but for those of us who care for animals the same way we care for people and love them and give them as place in our hearts and our family, it's like abandoning his daughter.

I would have hated for life to had put me in his same position, but if I was confronted with the same predicament, I would have made the same choice Mr. J made.

Mr. J and Lily need help and all we have to do is mis one lunch appointment in a fast-food restaurant, one less cup of coffee or one weekend at the movies and if enough of us just make that "immense sacrifice", this man can have a dignifying life, while feeling there is still some good hearted people out there who CAN'T JUST PRETEND THET THEY DID NOT SEE THIS or where offered the opportunity to change, one man's life (and his partner) for the price of cup of Coffee.