To Whom it May Concern:

My name is Nestor Velez Mattiace, a 23 year old, first year Echocardiography (Heart Ultrasound) student with the Rochester Institute of Technology. I am asking for voluntary donations from folks in the community who are willing to donate any amount to assist me to financially cover an unexpected balance of $12,000 as soon as possible or by (December 23rd, 2024 the latest).

If I do not have the $12,000 balance covered in full I am not able to continue my program of study here at RIT.

I have included my personal statement when I initially applied to the program so voluntary donors who read the personal statement in its entirety can gain a transparent understanding of my personal reasons for pursuing a rewarding career in Echocardiography!

Thanks Everyone for your support, willingness to spread the word to assist, donations, and time as I continue to navigate this unexpected financial barrier.

Very respectfully,

Nestor

This past June in the summer of 2021, my mother, after battling a courageous fight with both Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Congestive Heart Failure for thirteen years, passed away peacefully in her sleep. Through this trauma I have connected immensely with a passion for pursuing a career in healthcare. I have made the committed decision to apply to the Rochester Institute of Technology Ultrasound Program. In 2008, my mother was diagnosed with both Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Congestive Heart Failure. When she came home from Strong Memorial Hospital, she returned with a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD). The LVAD required my mother to carry a battery pack on her side continuously. By looking into my mothers eyes, I could tell she needed all the support she could get to assist her perform daily life functions. At that moment, I had to do whatever necessary to make sure I cared for her in the most patient-centered fashion while she had time left with our family. Tasks I assisted my mother included, organizing the multitude of heart failure medications, maintaining the upkeep of the LVAD, and supporting her physical activity.

Being the oldest of four children, I had to step up and lead during times of uncertainty while my father was on barge one thousand miles offshore due to employment. My fathers profession at his barge required him to extract petroleum from the ocean floor. When he was at work, he was required to remain on the barge for four weeks. Once the four weeks on the barge

were complete, he returned home for four weeks until he was called to work again. I was first exposed to Ultrasound when my mother informed me that the doctors utilized the modality to scan for her initial source of pain at the time. The doctors found a deep vein thrombosis in her right leg. At the age of sixteen, since the day I learned to drive, I drove my mother to her appointments at Strong Memorial Hospital. Oftentimes at her appointments,

she would have to receive a routine echocardiogram (which I was permitted to witness) to evaluate her heart's ejection fraction. Attending countless appointments alongside my mother where I witnessed the echocardiogram being performed has inspired me to pour my heart and soul into this field of medicine. At the unofficial shadowing experiences at my mother appointments, I had the wonderful privilege to acquire knowledge about the specific types of echocardiograms and procedures that are in conjunction with the echocardiogram including the bubble test. Considering the fact that my mother possessed an ejection fraction of 22%, the echocardiographic images (prior to the saline contrast injection) were barely being transmitted from the transducer to the ultrasound machine. The bubble test was significant because the saline contrast enhanced the image for the echocardiographer to obtain the necessary images for the examination. My personal experiences have shown me that the modality could assist doctors to confirm a diagnosis in which they could then treat.

When my mother was alive, the delicate moments where I saw her smile after assisting her performing basic tasks brightened my day. Receiving the heart-felt thank you from her was the reminder that the care I provided for her truly made a significant impact on her life. My care, without a doubt, was (and will be when it comes time for employment), authentic, raw, and sincere with great purpose. I would be humbled, if I too, could someday perform the life-saving work for an individual in need of a sonogram. It is my hope that the patients and their families that I treat in the future receive the same benefit and impacts as I did from experiencing the pure art of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The series of ongoing events I have already and continue to endure on a daily basis has taught me to altruistically put others individuals first, regardless if

I am familiar with the individual or if I am encountering the individual for the first time because I am unaware if the individual is experiencing the same or worse circumstances that I am currently enduring. Most significantly, over the years, I have learned to remain humble, to act as the helping hand in the community when the need for assistance arises. And, most certainly, to absolutely take nothing for granted.

Upon graduation from SUNY Broome (and my intended acceptance into the Rochester Institute of Technology), my ultimate career goal is to be employed at any exemplary teaching hospital where I intend to provide sonograms of all specialties to patients in need, tenaciously, at the highest order. I want to be at the heart of decision making, to care for, lead, and inform patients within the Ultrasound community. Rochester Institute of Technology would offer me the opportunity to use the lessons learned by caring for my mother and siblings, to provide patient care with my utmost devotion. Considering that the Rochester Institute of Technology ultrasound laboratory possesses the most revolutionary ultrasound equipment available this would be advantageous because I know that I will be receiving the individualized attention necessary from the faculty that will permit me to surpass my career aspirations. Put simply, I want to study Ultrasound at the Rochester Institute of Technology so I can study in the lab with other Sonography students who strive to become an agent of change within the Sonography profession for patients that come from diverse sets of backgrounds regardless of health status or complexity of medical condition.