Sal Loza - Kidney Transplant Recovery

Exciting News

This morning Sal received the call he had been waiting for: a matching kidney. He went into surgery this morning (4/15/2022) to receive his new kidney. While unexpected, it is the best news he could receive!

Update (4/15/2022 5:30 pm): Sal is now in the ICU, in recovery. The surgery went well! They are just monitoring him for blood clots and treating for the pain. Thank you all for your love and support!

Why the fundraiser?

Although the surgery is covered by his insurance, there are many expenses that are not. During his recovery, Sal will be out of work for 4 to 6 weeks. During that time, he will be making daily trips the first week home, then weekly trips to Wake Forest Hospital (Winston Salem) to assure he is healing properly and recovering well.

This fundraiser is to assist Sal with gas for those trips, and the lack of income during his recovery. Family will also be taking time off work to care for him during this time.

We are raising this money to allow Sal to focus on recovering from his surgery, and not worry about any financial needs.

Who is Sal?

Sal is an active, smart and funny young man who loves his family more than anything.

He was an active member of the Community Theater in his area, starring in shows such as Grease, Newsies, and Hair, before his diagnosis.

He enjoys video games, new and old, and even built his computer from scratch.

He loves bringing joy to others, and is known for his contagious laughter.

Why is Sal having the surgery? His Story:

In April of 2021, Sal was having severe pain in his lower back, which led him to the ER. There, he was treated for the pain and symptoms.

It was discovered his kidneys were not able to do their job properly, which is what led to the pain in his back. However, they were not able to realize why his kidneys were failing him.

Sal was transferred to Atrium Hospital in Charlotte, for further tests. They conducted a biopsy on his kidneys. After a team of doctors from different departments reviewed his biopsy, blood work and symptoms, the cause was discovered.

In May of 2021 Sal was diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks organs and tissue. In Sal’s case, his immune system was attacking his kidneys, as if they were a foreign entity to the body, causing them to cease normal function.

Once the cause was realized, he began treatments, such as steroids, immunosuppressants, and dialysis.

Once Sal was discharged from Atrium Hospital, he was able to have hemodialysis treatment at Fresenius Kidney Care of Hickory. There he met a great team, who considered him not just a patient, but a friend.

By August of 2021, they determined his kidneys would not improve on their own, and next steps should be taken. With hemodialysis meant to be temporary, they opted him for peritoneal dialysis, which you can do from home.

By the end of August, he had completed his training at Fresenius, and was able to do dialysis at home during the night, instead of taking up hours of his day to go to the center. Sal was able to get a step closer to normal life again.

The next step was getting Sal on the list for a new kidney. This involved months of tests and meetings at Wake Forest, in Winston Salem. With each appointment, he was another step closer to his old self.

In the mean time, Sal was given a great opportunity. Fresenius Kidney Care enjoyed him as a patient, and saw potential in him as an employee. They thought he would be a great asset to the team. He had been where the patients were, and could share with them how at home dialysis can be greatly beneficial.

Sal has been working there ever since, and the team embraced him.

He has been working for Fresenius since November, while still receiving peritoneal dialysis at home, going to appointments at Wake Forest, amongst other doctors on his team in Charlotte and in the Hickory area.

Although it often takes years after making the list to receive a kidney, Sal has been lucky enough to receive the call long before he could have anticipated.

It has been a difficult journey, but he is grateful for the opportunities he has been given, and the chance to cease dialysis treatment.

While Lupus has no cure, Sal is able to fight back with the proper treatment in hopes to prevent future outbreaks from affecting his other organs and tissues.

On behalf of Sal, thank you for the love and support. It means more to him than you know.