Aloha friends, family, and kind-hearted strangers,

I am reaching out with a heavy heart to share the story of my beloved aunty Luv. She is the favorite aunty in our family—someone who has always been a pillar of love, strength, and kindness. Though she doesn’t have children of her own, she owns a village of loved ones who cherish her deeply.

Four years ago, her life took a drastic turn when her mitral valve failed. The mitral valve is a vital part of the heart that regulates blood flow between the left atrium and the left ventricle. She needed open-heart surgery to repair it, and by God’s grace, she recovered. But her health has been a constant battle ever since.

Within the past year, her condition worsened. She became very sick—her heart and kidneys started to fail. She was diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF), which means her heart couldn’t pump blood effectively, leading to fluid buildup and difficulty breathing. She also developed stage 3 kidney failure, which means her kidneys are no longer able to filter waste and excess fluids properly.

Adding to her struggles, she was diagnosed with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and high blood pressure. Last week, our worst fears became reality. We rushed her to the ER, and her condition took a severe turn. She was intubated and is now fighting for her life.

We discovered she has a bacterial disease called Bartonella—an incredibly smart and persistent bacteria that has infected her mitral valve so badly that it’s failing. Since her valve is a main artery, this infection has compromised blood flow to her organs, causing her kidneys to stop working and her liver to back up. She’s now on dialysis, and her condition is critical.

The medical team has performed an ECMO procedure—Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation—which acts as a temporary support system for her heart and lungs, giving her a chance to stabilize and prepare for transport. The plan is to transfer her to UCSF, where specialists can operate and replace her damaged valve.

Aunty Luv is a fighter, and she wants to keep fighting. I want to be there for her every step of the way. But I’m one person—caring full-time for her, my mother who has Alzheimer’s, and my 5-year-old son. I’ve had to put my small business on hold to focus on her recovery and to manage the mounting medical bills, travel expenses, and everyday needs.

This is incredibly difficult for me to ask, but I need your help. Any support—whether it’s a donation or sharing her story—means the world. Your kindness can help cover her flights, medical bills, and the small things that keep her fighting.

If you know me, you know I rarely ask for help. But today, I am reaching out with hope and gratitude. Thank you so much for taking the time to read her story and for any support you can offer.

With heartfelt gratitude

Ciara