Hi! My name is Veronica Aycinena and I moved from Guatemala City to the San Francisco Bay Area a little over a year ago.
My father, Rolando Aycinena, lives in Guatemala City and is in need of an urgent liver transplant. Given that Guatemala does not have any liver transplant programs, our option is to have the procedure in Argentina. United States would have seemed the obvious choice but the costs are exuberant and the wait list is huge! Since he is not from Argentina, the only way that it could be done, is with a living donor. Who fortunately is my 27 year old cousin Adrian, who resides in Belgium and has to travel all the way to Argentina for the procedure.
What started as a relaxing and joyful motorcycle ride on a Sunday morning in 1989, turned devastating and tragic for my father, as he nearly lost his life. The blood transfusion he received that fateful day gave him Hepatitis C which doesn't show its symptoms for 25 years. He was officially diagnosed after getting a general checkup in 2012.
My dad has battled Hepatitis C for the past 4 years with a series of treatments and medications that unfortunately have been very intense with difficult side effects. Although the Hepatitis was cured, his liver suffered so much deterioration and cirrhosis that a cancerous tumor developed. With this latest diagnosis the liver transplant is imminent.
As the daughter of a loving, dedicated, hard working, honest, caring, guiding and inspiring person that is my father, I feel the urge to do what I can to help my family through this trying journey. I vowed to reach out to as many family and friends as I can to aid me in reaching my goal.
This means the world to me as I feel a moral obligation to give back to the man who has been everything a daughter could need and want in a father. My passion to help him in this cause stems from the fact that I have not been able to be there for him and my immediate family as a result of living abroad.
The funds I set myself to raise are to cover international travel and incidentals that my parents and Adrian will face while traveling/living in Argentina for the time needed pre and post-surgery. I feel the need to explain or justify my financial goal given that the airfare for example will be costly due to the unique situation and the uncertainty of travel dates. This journey will be a tremendous financial burden to my family as all expenses are out of pocket except for the actual transplant procedure which is covered by insurance.
I am so grateful to know so many wonderful people in my life; and I personally would like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for helping me in my cause to do this for my beloved father.
Much love,
Veronica
My father, Rolando Aycinena, lives in Guatemala City and is in need of an urgent liver transplant. Given that Guatemala does not have any liver transplant programs, our option is to have the procedure in Argentina. United States would have seemed the obvious choice but the costs are exuberant and the wait list is huge! Since he is not from Argentina, the only way that it could be done, is with a living donor. Who fortunately is my 27 year old cousin Adrian, who resides in Belgium and has to travel all the way to Argentina for the procedure.
What started as a relaxing and joyful motorcycle ride on a Sunday morning in 1989, turned devastating and tragic for my father, as he nearly lost his life. The blood transfusion he received that fateful day gave him Hepatitis C which doesn't show its symptoms for 25 years. He was officially diagnosed after getting a general checkup in 2012.
My dad has battled Hepatitis C for the past 4 years with a series of treatments and medications that unfortunately have been very intense with difficult side effects. Although the Hepatitis was cured, his liver suffered so much deterioration and cirrhosis that a cancerous tumor developed. With this latest diagnosis the liver transplant is imminent.
As the daughter of a loving, dedicated, hard working, honest, caring, guiding and inspiring person that is my father, I feel the urge to do what I can to help my family through this trying journey. I vowed to reach out to as many family and friends as I can to aid me in reaching my goal.
This means the world to me as I feel a moral obligation to give back to the man who has been everything a daughter could need and want in a father. My passion to help him in this cause stems from the fact that I have not been able to be there for him and my immediate family as a result of living abroad.
The funds I set myself to raise are to cover international travel and incidentals that my parents and Adrian will face while traveling/living in Argentina for the time needed pre and post-surgery. I feel the need to explain or justify my financial goal given that the airfare for example will be costly due to the unique situation and the uncertainty of travel dates. This journey will be a tremendous financial burden to my family as all expenses are out of pocket except for the actual transplant procedure which is covered by insurance.
I am so grateful to know so many wonderful people in my life; and I personally would like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for helping me in my cause to do this for my beloved father.
Much love,
Veronica