Los Angeles, CA – July 23, 2018 – Alexandria has been given a second chance at life after her absentee father offered to become her kidney donor following a successful compatibility test. James West, who had moved to the Dominican Republic due to the high cost of living in LA, returned to the United States early last year once news of Alexandria’s condition reached him. He has since been assisting with her care and saving to cover expenses that will arise once the surgery is complete.
After suffering acute kidney failure in January of 2017, Alexandria was rushed to the hospital where doctors said she had lost 90% of her kidney function and would require an immediate transplant or dialysis. With an average wait time of five to ten years for a compatible donor, and other family members ruled out through testing, dialysis was the only option. Alexandria began treatment, then moved to DC soon after for a new job. Eventually, the routine took a toll on her, and her condition worsened.
“The thought of not having a donor is one thing, but feeling helpless and limited for possibly five or more years and to be stuck on dialysis waiting for a donor was like being on life support to me,” said Alexandria. “I wanted to stop treatment.”
West, who had not been a part of the initial compatibility testing, asked that the doctors carry out the necessary bloodwork to see if he was a match. Alexandria was contemplating putting an end to her treatment when he received positive results and requested to be her living donor. They have since received a go-ahead for the procedure, which will take place on July 24, 2018, at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
West recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to gather assistance for expenses not covered by insurance, including the hospital stay and aftercare. Alexandria’s anti-rejection medications will cost around $2,000 or more per month for the rest of her life, and neither father or daughter will be able to work during the recovery period, which is expected to last several weeks.
“The past is the past,” said Mr. West. “I’ve made mistakes as a father. Ones I can’t ever fix and were never intended. I am here to give my daughter a second life. She needs to know how much I love her.”
Media Contact
Company Name: House of Scribes
Contact Person: James West
Email: Send Email
Phone: 818-818-8658
City: Los Angeles
State: California
Country: United States
Website: http://www.gofundme.com/dad-gives-daughter-second-life