I have known Sandra for 18 years. We met at work in our twenties, and what started as a workplace friendship quickly became so much more. Over the years, we have celebrated milestones together, attended charity and fundraiser events, shown up for each other’s birthdays, and eventually walked through motherhood side by side, pregnant at the same time and welcoming our sons just a few weeks apart. Enrique and I were honored to be included in their wedding party, and on their special day, they surprised us with the first dance we never had at our own wedding. This is just one example of how selfless and thoughtful they both are.

Sandra and Abel are the kind of people who show up for their family and friends without hesitation. Their strength, faith, and devotion to one another and to their children are constant, even in the hardest seasons.

I’m sharing their story because I’ve seen it up close — the hospital visits, the uncertainty, and the resilience it has taken to keep going. I know how deeply this family deserves support during yet another incredibly difficult chapter.

Here is their story:

In January of 2017, our lives changed in an instant. Abel was suddenly struck by acute severe necrotizing pancreatitis - a rare and devastating condition that caused his organs to begin shutting down without warning. I was 37 weeks pregnant when this happened. By a miracle, Abel was able to be there for AJ’s birth, though he missed precious milestones during that first year. He spent most of that year fighting for his life in the ICU. There were months of dialysis, blood transfusions, physical therapy, multiple surgeries, and at one point, six drains in his abdomen, with the final one being removed in October of that year.

That crisis never truly ended for us. Since then, Abel has continued to face serious complications from the initial episode. Abel now lives with only about 25% of his pancreas. Almost every year, he’s rushed back to the ICU with life‑threatening emergencies - flare‑ups, sepsis, bacterial infections, and other complications that come without warning. Each episode brings fear, uncertainty, and another long road back to recovery - with one as recent as earlier this month in February. Abel went into septic shock and subsequently developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) which caused doctors to intubate him and placed him on a ventilator for three long days.

We’re grateful to have health insurance, but the truth is that the recovery periods are where we struggle the most. When Abel is unable to work during his recovery, our finances are simply not enough to cover medications, follow‑up care, and the everyday costs of keeping our family afloat. We’ve had to turn to credit cards in the past, just to get through those months. Even when we manage to catch up, another hospital stay sets us back all over again. It often feels like for every step forward, we’re pushed two steps behind.

We’re sharing our story because we’re still fighting - any support helps us stay steady during Abel’s recovery periods and gives our family the chance to breathe, heal, and move toward a more stable future.

With immense gratitude,

Abel, Sandra, AJ, and Chris Birrueta