On June 23, 2019, while vacationing in San Diego Sofia was unexpectedly admitted to Rady's Children’s Hospital with kidney failure. We spent the week in Rady’s while her care team worked diligently to help us understand how our perfectly healthy child had gotten so ill so quickly. She immediately went to surgery to prepare for hemodialysis and the next day she underwent a kidney biopsy.  She was soon diagnosed with Anca-vasculitis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the small blood vessels of the body. She made quick improvement and was released on the day of her Dad Sergio’s graduation of the 87th Fire Academy with San Diego City Fire Rescue, where she had the honor of presenting him with his badge.

Since being released she has had to undergo dialysis treatments three times a week and follows a very strict nutrition plan. It had been determined that she has End Stage Renal Failure and will require a kidney transplant. Thus, we have begun the process of finding our girl a kidney.

Recently, on September 10th she suffered multiple seizures which caused another week long hospitalization. Again she endured various tests and procedures to help us understand why this was happening. After three days we got results that she had been diagnosed with PRES which is neurologic complication of kidney failure. She has been stable since her release and has thankfully not experienced any more seizures. We still have a long road ahead of us. For now we support her during her dialysis treatments three times a week and continue the process of getting her a new kidney. This has by far been the scariest, and most emotionally and spiritually challenging thing we could have ever imagined. However we continue to have hope and know that no matter what comes our way we will get through it together. Thank you for your support. 

-Sergio & Michelle