Support Matt's Life-Saving Kidney Transplant

My sister Stephanie and I are asking for help to support a life saving kidney Transplant needed for our dad, Matthew Ortega.

If you know our dad, you know he is a hard worker and just an all-around good guy to be around. When you meet our dad you are taken in by his good nature and kindness. Being diabetic he was susceptible to cuts that could turn into infections, and unfortunately he had to leave his job after developing an infection in his right leg, which he ultimately lost. With all the medical issues he has faced, they have taken a toll on his body and as time went by, his kidneys began to break down, resulting in end stage renal failure (Stage 5). He has been on dialysis for five years, and has been in and out of the hospital due to complications, one being the loss of his left leg just last year. Most of us will never have to know what it’s like to lose your legs and have to relearn to walk and navigate on prosthetic legs, but our dad has never given up and as each obstacle came his way, he has overcome them and today he walks as well as you and I. Through all this he’s never lost his good nature and spirit to survive. After years of enduring one medical hardship after another, healing his body to withstand more treatment, our dad has been cleared to receive a kidney transplant.

We are writing to ask for your support in this new journey to receive a kidney transplant. The procedure will be performed out of State, so our dad and either my sister or I will fly with him to the medical facility he is summoned to. Once the transplant procedure is complete, he has been told he will need to remain approximately three months in the same area for the medical team to keep a watch out as he heals and adjusts to a new kidney.

Your donation will help our dad finance the three-month stay as he navigates this new phase of his medical journey. He is so grateful for the opportunity to continue to live his life and be part of his children’s and grandchild’s life. He has been through so much, many times even his doctors have marveled at his resilience in overcoming major medical scares, but to know our dad is to know he doesn’t give up. He loves his family and his desire to live is strong. He has plans to become a transplant advocate for all those who do not know how to navigate the complex world of transplantation. Your donation of whatever you can afford will help him. He is seeking $50,000 to assist with three month’s living expenses for himself and a companion, which will include transportation to and from the treatment medical facility, daily living expenses, hotel and transplant medications. Thank you for reading and thank you for any help you can give as our dad looks forward to a new life.

Any funds left over will go into an account that will be used for monthly transplant medications and other transplant needs.