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A Katy father and beloved soccer coach is in desperate need of a new kidney, he even traveled to Mexico for the operation. FOX 26’s Leslie DelasBour has Hernan Ramirez’s plea to the community for help.
KATY, Texas – 35-year-old Hernan Ramirez is fighting for his life, for the second time, with failing kidneys.
"I just want to be healthy, you know," Ramirez said.
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Nearly a decade ago, strong knee pain and high blood pressure turned into kidney disease for Hernan Ramirez.
"Then they gave me a medicine to see if it was something they can cure, but after 10 days they said no, this is what you have," Ramirez said.
At that time, Ramirez was living in El Paso, when he received his first transplant in 2015. His first transplant was back in Monterrey, a city in Mexico where his family lives, due to a quicker match.
Ever since, he’s been fighting to stay alive at dialysis three or more time a week, and hours at a time.
"I don’t have kidneys at this point, so if dialysis wasn't there, I probably would have died," said Ramirez.
Recently, Ramirez found out that the first kidney replacement was failing again, and began the process to get a transplant in Houston earlier this year.
"I was already on the list here at Memorial Herman, but they were in the news, they shut down the program," Ramirez said.
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Thankfully, Ramirez got a call on Wednesday that he had made the transplant list again in Mexico.
For the last six months, Ramirez has been going back and forth to the hospital in Monterrey to prep to in case the hospital calls with a match.
"It depends on the match. The percentage of getting matched with somebody that passed away is very low," said Ramirez, "Even with a kidney, it’s not cured, it’s just a better lifestyle."
There is a Go Fund Me created by Ramirez’s family to help save his life.
"That's why I’m doing the fundraiser to collect the money to pay for the transplant over there, because I don’t have insurance in Mexico, and the only way is to pay cash over there," said Ramirez.
His family and friends are now pleading for this father of two, a beloved MVP soccer player at Morton Ranch High School, turned head soccer coach there, to get a second chance at life.
"It’s hard to see him struggle. We, all the family, tried to donate the kidney for him, but we are not compatible with him," said Johanna Cordova, Ramirez’s Aunt.
Other support for Ramirez is even coming from his friend and attorney Kevin Acevedo, who is helping Ramirez set up his will now.
Ramirez has a young son, who is a non-verbal child on the spectrum.
Acevedo says he wants his friend to be at peace every day knowing his 5-year-old and 9-year-old son are okay.
"I provide him free legal services, because I think it’s the right thing to do," said Acevedo. "Hernan has a special child, so he’s not only worried about himself, he’s worried about what would happen if he was gone and his child is going to need him and going to need people to look after him."
For now, Hernan is staying positive and hoping for a quick miracle in Mexico.
"I want to be here for my family, my kids, my community," Ramirez said. "No matter what happens and if it has to happen, it will happen."
The Source: FOX 26 Reporter Leslie DelasBour spoke with the 35-year-old soccer coach as well as his family members.
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