Hello, my name is Lia, and I'm fundraising to help save, or at least extend, my son's life. His name is Pedro, and he is my only child. We celebrate his 34th birthday today, 3 August. He is a loving father and a courageous human being who has faced many personal, professional and financial hardships in his 20s but has remained cheerful and optimistic through it all, motivated by his dream to see his children grow up to become independent adults.

Last year, Pedro had some routine lab work done. The lab results revealed that his estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels were 34, representing Stage 3 Kidney Failure. This was an extreme shock for us because he experienced no symptoms.

Several months later, his eGFR had dropped to a low 12 and has been fluctuating between 12 and 19 since last November 2021, when a renal biopsy was performed. Pedro was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) and is now at Stage 5, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD).

After endless hours of deep-dive research, we have learned that IgA Nephropathy is a unique autoimmune disease with no known cure, which originates in the gut. Due to a genetic predisposition, certain mishandling of mucosal antigens in the gut leads to the activation of B cells in the Peyer's patches of the GALT. The activation of B cells produces an autoimmune response, causing severe and irreversible kidney damage.

We now understand that the early onset of the IgAN in his gut might have started as early as childhood or adolescence, and it could be the cause of his diagnosed asthma at age 12. The fact that he is at the end stage of the disease at age 34 indicates that the disease had been progressing silently in his body for the last 10-20 years.

The conventional IgAN treatment protocol includes dialysis and kidney transplant. However, the disease is so advanced and aggressive that it may also damage a transplanted kidney from a deceased donor in a relatively short time. In the worst-case scenario, this could represent a reduction of life expectancy to approximately 2-6 years.

We found scientific research and studies indicating that a specific Stem Cell treatment and a kidney transplant from a living donor could increase life expectancy to approximately 10-20 years. However, stem cell treatment for organ regeneration is not covered by any US health insurance. The cost of the stem cell treatment is $25,000 - which is why we have created this fundraiser to implore financial support from the public.

Family members have offered to help with other expenses deriving from loss of income when recovering from kidney transplant surgery, plus additional medical costs and medications not covered by the health insurance or medicare, but we cannot come close to funding the cost of the stem cell treatment.

As his mother, there is a possibility that I can be a match to donate him a kidney. I have begun a series of tests to determine compatibility. If I am not a match, he will have to wait 4-6 years to receive a matching kidney from a deceased donor. In such case, the stem cell treatment could help him survive on dialysis for 4-6 years. The stem cell treatment is extremely important to help extend his life, whether he receives a kidney from a living donor or a deceased donor 4-6 years later.

With that said, I pray that anyone reading this will find it in their hearts to help a young father live long enough to see his children grow up to become independent adults. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your kind donation!!