Uncle Mario's Life Saving Medicine
Donation protected
Our Uncle Mario is in need of emergent help, and our family is humbly turning to our community in hopes that we can come together. He has a life-threatening condition that is causing immediate kidney failure, and OHIP won't pay for his life-saving medication/treatment that his specialists from Toronto General Hospital have ordered. He is the kind of man that would give up anything to help someone, and now here he is, needing the help of others to save his own life.
Mario was first diagnosed with Membranous Nephropathy in June of 2016. Nephrotic Syndrome is an autoimmune disease which attacks your kidneys causing them to leak excess protein into your body and rapidly leads to complete kidney failure. This disease is causing lymphedema throughout his entire body, putting extreme stress on his organs, and causing him to display signs of immediate kidney failure. In June 2016, he was put on two costly medications called Cyclosporine and Protosone. After months of treatment and over $1000 spent in RX's, unfortunately we have seen no progress and in fact he has continued to deteriorate.
In early February 2017, Mario was hospitalized in Toronto General for 10 days to undergo a battery of tests to see what else could be done to avoid worsening of symptoms and life-long dialysis and/or a kidney transplant. The team of doctors have decided that the only hope we have is to start him on a new treatment medication called Rituximub. This is a drug commonly used to treat cancer. It will suppress his immune system and give his kidneys a chance to heal, as his immune system is essentially attacking his kidneys.
This treatment is our only hope to reverse this disease, and unfortunately we have now learned that it will not be covered by OHIP or by his wife's private insurance plan. We are heart broken to learn that despite it being a life-saving need, our own provincial health plan isn't willing to cover the cost and our only hope is to pay for it ourselves or pray that we can raise some money to help towards the cost. My aunt has applied for Trillium coverage, but as of now he has not been approved. Even if there is some relief offered by the provincial program, it won't be 100% of the cost, nor will it cover missed work, life expenses, parking, other prescriptions etc.
Mario will need two infusions done of the Rituximub, as well as other medications to assist in the treatment plan. He will be immunocompromised (similar to a person undergoing chemo) and due to that fact, as well as the stress this disease is putting on his body, he is unable to work. My aunt is now trying to support their household, travel to and from Toronto for his treatment and also pay for his medication.
The total cost of the treatment is $12,000, and that is assuming all things go smoothly. Advocate Insurance Group has graciously offered to match ALL donations, so anything donated here will be equally matched by them! We are praying to be able to raise $6000 as they have offered to match up to that amount, which would eliminate the biggest financial burden on our family's shoulders at this point.
We are trying to raise half of the cost of treatment, so that as a community, we can provide financial relief to them. We want to give them the chance to focus on helping Mario get well again and not on the overwhelming financial strain this is causing. We need to get him started on his medication very soon, as he continues to get worse everyday and waiting while we save money is not an option.
Anything will help at this point, even $5. If you can find it in your heart to donate we will be so humbly grateful. If donating is not something you can do, please consider sharing this fundraiser and praying for our family.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Deandra Camara
Mario was first diagnosed with Membranous Nephropathy in June of 2016. Nephrotic Syndrome is an autoimmune disease which attacks your kidneys causing them to leak excess protein into your body and rapidly leads to complete kidney failure. This disease is causing lymphedema throughout his entire body, putting extreme stress on his organs, and causing him to display signs of immediate kidney failure. In June 2016, he was put on two costly medications called Cyclosporine and Protosone. After months of treatment and over $1000 spent in RX's, unfortunately we have seen no progress and in fact he has continued to deteriorate.
In early February 2017, Mario was hospitalized in Toronto General for 10 days to undergo a battery of tests to see what else could be done to avoid worsening of symptoms and life-long dialysis and/or a kidney transplant. The team of doctors have decided that the only hope we have is to start him on a new treatment medication called Rituximub. This is a drug commonly used to treat cancer. It will suppress his immune system and give his kidneys a chance to heal, as his immune system is essentially attacking his kidneys.
This treatment is our only hope to reverse this disease, and unfortunately we have now learned that it will not be covered by OHIP or by his wife's private insurance plan. We are heart broken to learn that despite it being a life-saving need, our own provincial health plan isn't willing to cover the cost and our only hope is to pay for it ourselves or pray that we can raise some money to help towards the cost. My aunt has applied for Trillium coverage, but as of now he has not been approved. Even if there is some relief offered by the provincial program, it won't be 100% of the cost, nor will it cover missed work, life expenses, parking, other prescriptions etc.
Mario will need two infusions done of the Rituximub, as well as other medications to assist in the treatment plan. He will be immunocompromised (similar to a person undergoing chemo) and due to that fact, as well as the stress this disease is putting on his body, he is unable to work. My aunt is now trying to support their household, travel to and from Toronto for his treatment and also pay for his medication.
The total cost of the treatment is $12,000, and that is assuming all things go smoothly. Advocate Insurance Group has graciously offered to match ALL donations, so anything donated here will be equally matched by them! We are praying to be able to raise $6000 as they have offered to match up to that amount, which would eliminate the biggest financial burden on our family's shoulders at this point.
We are trying to raise half of the cost of treatment, so that as a community, we can provide financial relief to them. We want to give them the chance to focus on helping Mario get well again and not on the overwhelming financial strain this is causing. We need to get him started on his medication very soon, as he continues to get worse everyday and waiting while we save money is not an option.
Anything will help at this point, even $5. If you can find it in your heart to donate we will be so humbly grateful. If donating is not something you can do, please consider sharing this fundraiser and praying for our family.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Deandra Camara
Organizer and beneficiary
Deandra Camara
Organizer
Cambridge, ON
Maria Costa
Beneficiary