Jules kidney transplant, a chance to a better life
Donation protected
My younger sister,w ho will be my kidney donor
Trying to be cool while receiving a hemodialysis treatment .
On July 3, 2015,while I watched my family through video call take my beloved mother's body to the cemetery for her final resting place, I was rushed to the hospital due to chest pain and shortness of breath. I was admitted for 14 days and even celebrated my 35th birthday in the hospital with my co-workers. I was admitted with bilateral pneumonia, pleural effusion and congested heart failure. Few days later, I developed an acute kidney failure and had to receive hemodialysis. Diagnostics and blood testing were done to determine the cause of my problem. Due to stress, lack of sleep, and overworked body, my immune system was too weak to fight my illness. I worked soo many hours in two hospitals to financially support my mother when she hospitalized in the Philippines for more than 4 months. Unfortunately, my wonderful mother lost her battle and passed away. I was discharged from the hospital and never been the same. The hospital became my second home with my hospitalizations. After a lot of blood work testing and kidney biopsy, I was diagnosed with lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease where my antibodies attack its own. It leads to inflammation and damage to various tissues including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain. Unfortunately, my lupus attacked my kidney and been hospitalized countless times since 2015. I was put on medications to control my illness which made me more ill. Until last November of 2017, I was hospitalized with kidney failure. Since then I have been on hemodialysis to survive. Aside from getting dialysis 3 days a week( 4 hours each treatment), I also received 6 months of chemotherapy to save my kidney. I would NEVER want anybody to go through what I been through. The hemodialysis itself is very exhausting and the chemotherapy felt like a ping pong ball going back from feeling fine to feeling sick. There was times that I said goodbyes to my family because I was so exhausted and felt like I was dying after each chemotherapy treatment. Then, I realized I MUST persevere because I have so much to fight for, a wonderful 13 years old son and 2 children which we were awarded by the judge as a permanent guardians. Unfortunately, after six agonizing months, the chemotherapy treatment did not work and I was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease. Meaning, I will be on hemodialysis forever unless I get a kidney transplant. I was saddened , but I had to face the reality and keep swimming ( keep swimming like one of my supervisors told me )!!! Because of my desires to have at least somewhat a normal life , I decided to have a peritoneal surgery to be able to dialyze myself at home. Again, another painful news because I wasn't able to use the peritoneal dialysis due to a complication. Since, June my physician ordered for me to take a break from working because my health was deteriorating. While I was off work, I completed my kidney transplant requirements.
Since I started hemodialysis ,my younger sister offered to donate her kidney, but I refused to accept her offer in the beginning because I was afraid and never want her to go thru what I went through. But after I spoke to a co-worker, who donated a kidney to her brother and told me that she's been doing fine since the surgery. I also spoke to the chief transplant surgeon regarding my fears for my sister's decision for giving me one of her kidney. I finally accepted my sister's GIFT OF LIFE !!! She went through a living donor screening and WE RECEIVED GREAT NEWS THAT WE ARE A MATCH!!!.
We are asking your help to raise money to alleviate some of financial stress this illness has caused. Donations will be used for some of the medical bills that are not covered by medical insurance, expenses for doctor's visits, and medications. I also want to be able to help my sister since she will not be able to work for few months after the surgery. Please consider a few dollars to help me and my sister to financially prepare on our journey.
Please pray for me, my sister, and our family. Thank you for everyone's generosity and God bless all of you.
Trying to be cool while receiving a hemodialysis treatment .On July 3, 2015,while I watched my family through video call take my beloved mother's body to the cemetery for her final resting place, I was rushed to the hospital due to chest pain and shortness of breath. I was admitted for 14 days and even celebrated my 35th birthday in the hospital with my co-workers. I was admitted with bilateral pneumonia, pleural effusion and congested heart failure. Few days later, I developed an acute kidney failure and had to receive hemodialysis. Diagnostics and blood testing were done to determine the cause of my problem. Due to stress, lack of sleep, and overworked body, my immune system was too weak to fight my illness. I worked soo many hours in two hospitals to financially support my mother when she hospitalized in the Philippines for more than 4 months. Unfortunately, my wonderful mother lost her battle and passed away. I was discharged from the hospital and never been the same. The hospital became my second home with my hospitalizations. After a lot of blood work testing and kidney biopsy, I was diagnosed with lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease where my antibodies attack its own. It leads to inflammation and damage to various tissues including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain. Unfortunately, my lupus attacked my kidney and been hospitalized countless times since 2015. I was put on medications to control my illness which made me more ill. Until last November of 2017, I was hospitalized with kidney failure. Since then I have been on hemodialysis to survive. Aside from getting dialysis 3 days a week( 4 hours each treatment), I also received 6 months of chemotherapy to save my kidney. I would NEVER want anybody to go through what I been through. The hemodialysis itself is very exhausting and the chemotherapy felt like a ping pong ball going back from feeling fine to feeling sick. There was times that I said goodbyes to my family because I was so exhausted and felt like I was dying after each chemotherapy treatment. Then, I realized I MUST persevere because I have so much to fight for, a wonderful 13 years old son and 2 children which we were awarded by the judge as a permanent guardians. Unfortunately, after six agonizing months, the chemotherapy treatment did not work and I was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease. Meaning, I will be on hemodialysis forever unless I get a kidney transplant. I was saddened , but I had to face the reality and keep swimming ( keep swimming like one of my supervisors told me )!!! Because of my desires to have at least somewhat a normal life , I decided to have a peritoneal surgery to be able to dialyze myself at home. Again, another painful news because I wasn't able to use the peritoneal dialysis due to a complication. Since, June my physician ordered for me to take a break from working because my health was deteriorating. While I was off work, I completed my kidney transplant requirements.
Since I started hemodialysis ,my younger sister offered to donate her kidney, but I refused to accept her offer in the beginning because I was afraid and never want her to go thru what I went through. But after I spoke to a co-worker, who donated a kidney to her brother and told me that she's been doing fine since the surgery. I also spoke to the chief transplant surgeon regarding my fears for my sister's decision for giving me one of her kidney. I finally accepted my sister's GIFT OF LIFE !!! She went through a living donor screening and WE RECEIVED GREAT NEWS THAT WE ARE A MATCH!!!.
We are asking your help to raise money to alleviate some of financial stress this illness has caused. Donations will be used for some of the medical bills that are not covered by medical insurance, expenses for doctor's visits, and medications. I also want to be able to help my sister since she will not be able to work for few months after the surgery. Please consider a few dollars to help me and my sister to financially prepare on our journey.
Please pray for me, my sister, and our family. Thank you for everyone's generosity and God bless all of you.
Organizer
Julie Raysin
Organizer
Mulberry, FL
