Hello! We are setting up this GoFundMe on behalf of our dad, Jose Gonzalez who was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in 2018. IPF is a disease that causes scarring and stiffening of the lungs which then results in difficulty breathing. This incurable disease left him unable to work, wheelchair bound, oxygen dependent, in pain, suffering from a chronic cough and difficulty with breathing. Jose's condition left him experiencing physical, emotional, mental, and financial hardships.
At the beginning of 2023, the disease progressed rapidly and after months of testing and evaluations, Jose was finally approved to be placed on the UNOS transplant list. On December 3rd, 2023, our family received news that Jose would undergo a double lung transplant surgery. After the surgery, due to complications, Jose remained intubated for an unexpected 5 days. Jose stayed in the hospital for approximately 2 months during which he experienced numerous hurdles, such as a paralyzed vocal cord, difficulty eating and loss of voice all due to the extended intubation period and also several bronchoscopy procedures to clean out his lungs.
In February 2024, Jose was able to return home, knowing that he would be facing a long recovery. Following his surgery, Jose has been having weekly visits with his transplant team, along with other providers to help resolve his vocal cord issues, treatment for co-occurring illness of Diabetes, and pulmonary rehab twice a week. A few weeks after his return home, Jose tested positive for antibodies. This requires infusions in hope that his body doesn’t attack his new pair of lungs, resulting in rejection or worse. Immunosuppressant infusions cause a very low immune system that will then cause any sickness to become life threatening. There are constant tests and evaluations being done, with the intent of mitigating any tragedies. Jose continues to take the necessary steps in his recovery each and every day with great optimism at his second chance at life.
Prior to his surgery, because of the IPF progression, Jose had already been unable to work for a year and now after his transplant we are unclear if or when he will be cleared to return to work. Our family has been obligated to make sacrifices throughout this financial hardship. His wife was working two jobs prior to his surgery to help aid with the loss of his income. But was forced to leave her morning job to provide care for him throughout the day while his children provide his care throughout the night. Due to his wife’s inability to drive, we have had to rely on ourselves, friends, and family to help get Jose to his appointments as he has not been cleared to drive himself. We are now a few months post op and medical bills have rapidly piled on. While medical insurance does cover a portion of these bills there are remaining balances, some procedures, and medications that are not covered.
The road to a lung transplant and the recovery is not just medically challenging but also financially daunting. We cannot express how grateful we are to all of those who have been with us on this journey. We are reaching out to you, our family, our friends, our community, and those with generous hearts to help us gather funds for post-operative care expenses and medications. We ask that you continue to show your support during this difficult time. Please consider donating whatever you can so that Jose and his family can have a second chance at life without the burden of financial anxiety. All funds raised will go directly towards his medical bills and medications. We thank you immensely!
¡Hola! Estamos creando este GoFundMe en nombre de nuestro padre, José González, quien fue diagnosticado con fibrosis pulmonar idiopática en 2018. FPI es una enfermedad que causa cicatrices y rigidez de los pulmones, lo que provoca dificultad para respirar. Esta enfermedad incurable lo dejó incapacitado para trabajar, en silla de ruedas, dependiente de oxígeno, con dolor, con tos crónica y dificultad para respirar. La condición de José lo dejó con dificultades físicas, emocionales, mentales y financieras.
A principios de 2023, la enfermedad progresó rápidamente y, después de meses de pruebas y evaluaciones, José finalmente fue aprobado para ser incluido en la lista de trasplantes de UNOS. El 3 de Diciembre de 2023, nuestra familia recibió la noticia de que José se sometería a una cirugía de doble trasplante de pulmón. Después de la cirugía, debido a complicaciones, José permaneció intubado durante 5 días inesperados. José permaneció en el hospital durante aproximadamente 2 meses, durante los cuales sucedieron numerosos obstáculos, como una cuerda vocal paralizada, dificultad para comer y pérdida de la voz, todo debido al período prolongado de intubación y tambien recibio varios procedimientos de broncoscopia para limpiar sus pulmones.
En Febrero de 2024, José pudo regresar a casa, sabiendo que se enfrentaría a una larga recuperación. Después de su cirugía, José ha estado teniendo visitas semanales con su equipo de trasplante, junto con otros proveedores para ayudar a resolver sus problemas con las cuerdas vocales, el tratamiento para la enfermedad concurrente de la diabetes y la rehabilitación pulmonar dos veces por semana. Unas semanas después de su regreso a casa, José dio positivo en anticuerpos. Esto requiere infusiones con la esperanza de que su cuerpo no ataque su nuevo par de pulmones, lo que resultaría en rechazo o algo peor. Las infusiones inmunosupresores causan un sistema inmunológico muy bajo que luego hará que cualquier enfermedad se convierta en una amenaza para su vida. Se realizan pruebas y evaluaciones constantes, con la intención de mitigar cualquier tragedia. José continúa dando los pasos necesarios en su recuperación todos los días con gran optimismo en su segunda oportunidad en la vida.
Antes de su cirugía, debido a la progresión de la FPI, José ya había estado incapacitado para trabajar durante un año y ahora, después de su trasplante, no tenemos claro si se le autorizará a volver a trabajar o cuándo. Nuestra familia se ha visto obligada a hacer sacrificios a lo largo de esta dificultad financiera. Su esposa tenía dos trabajos antes de su cirugía para ayudar con la pérdida de sus ingresos. Pero se vio obligada a dejar un trabajo para cuidarlo durante el día mientras sus hijos lo cuidan durante la noche. Debido a que su esposa no puede conducir, hemos tenido que depender de nosotros mismos, amigos y familiares para ayudar a llevar a José a sus citas, ya que no ha sido autorizado para conducir por sí mismo. Ahora estamos unos meses después de la operación y las facturas médicas se han acumulado rápidamente. Mientras el seguro médico cubre una parte de estas facturas, hay saldos restantes, algunos procedimientos y medicamentos que no están cubiertos.
El camino hacia un trasplante de pulmón y la recuperación no solo es un desafío médico, sino también financieramente desalentador. No podemos expresar lo agradecidos que estamos con todos los que nos han acompañado durante este viaje. Nos estamos comunicando con ustedes, nuestra familia, nuestros amigos, nuestra comunidad y aquellos con corazones generosos para que nos ayuden a recaudar fondos para los gastos de atención postoperatoria y medicamentos. Les pedimos que continúen mostrando su apoyo durante este momento difícil. Por favor, considere donar lo que pueda para que José y su familia puedan tener una segunda oportunidad en la vida sin la carga de la ansiedad financiera. Todos los fondos recaudados se destinarán directamente a sus facturas médicas y medicamentos. Les agradecemos inmensamente!
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Why GoFundMe Articles and URLs Appear on Our Website and How We Support Other GoFundMe Campaigns
At LFEBridge Foundation, we are dedicated to creating a platform where individuals and organizations can maximize their fundraising efforts. As part of our commitment to supporting a wide range of causes, we incorporate articles and URLs from GoFundMe into our website. Here’s why you might see GoFundMe content on our site, how it benefits the fundraising community, and our relationship with GoFundMe:
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Conclusion
By featuring GoFundMe articles and URLs on our website, LFEBridge Foundation supports a wide array of fundraising campaigns, helping them gain the visibility and donations they need to succeed. Through our promotional efforts and strategic partnerships, we aim to create a robust and supportive environment for all fundraising initiatives.
For more information on how we support fundraising campaigns or to explore featured campaigns, visit https://LFEBridge.com or contact us at support@lfebridge.com.
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