Hector Figueroa, a 33-year-old New York City Detective, has spent the past decade upholding the law and ensuring the safety of his city. Now, he is reaching out to the broader community for support in his own time of need.
Transplanted
About Hector Figueroa
In 2023, Hector visited the doctor for a routine check up and walked away with high blood pressure medication and the assurance from his doctor that everything was okay.
A few months later, Hector contracted COVID-19 and noticed his symptoms seemed way worse than what others were experiencing. After being hospitalized he found out that his COVID-19 symptoms were masking the severity of another underlying medical issue: he was in kidney failure. This news came as a huge surprise, especially given the clean bill of health he had just received not long before. In a matter of seconds, his life was changed and he faced the urgent reality that he needed to start dialysis as soon as possible.
Since his diagnosis, Hector’s life has been filled with uncertainty and pain. Hector reflects on a time in the hospital when he needed a necessary hemodialysis procedure in his neck. After the surgery and during his recovery, Hector was unaware that he was bleeding profusely. If it wasn’t for his sister checking up on him and calling for help, he wouldn’t be alive today.
With stage 5 kidney disease, Hector feels lucky he can still move around. However, the overwhelming fatigue he experiences now makes day-to-day activities, like walking to the mailbox or going up and down the stairs in his apartment very challenging. The things he loves most, like shooting hoops with colleagues, playing outside with his nephew or fulfilling his duties as a New York City Detective, are no longer feasible in his current state. For Hector, getting back to his regular life depends on finding a kidney donor.
For those of you who feel moved to help, whether by exploring the option of living kidney donation or seeking information on how best to support Hector, please reach out to Kidneys for Communities, at info@kidneysforcommunities.org. The Kidneys for Communities team is here to provide answers to any additional questions you may have.
KIDNEY DONATION
How does kidney donation work?
A donor doesn’t need to be an exact match. In fact, because of the Nobel Prize-winning paired kidney exchange program, your kidney donation will not only save one life, but it will save several more in the chain.
Living kidney donation is safe, and all costs associated with your donation are covered. Living donor kidneys also last much longer than deceased donor kidneys. A deceased donor kidney transplant, on average, lasts 10-15 years, while a living donor transplant lasts 12-20 years.
Kidneys for Communities® Donor Benefits
Donating a kidney is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling acts someone can do.
Kidneys for Communities can help you through the process to help save a life, but we know there are many obstacles that can be prohibitive to the donor. At Kidneys for Communities, we take care of our donors with the industry’s most complete donor benefits package:
Onboarding and education
Personalized guidance through the donation process
Anonymity
Cost reimbursements:
Travel, food & lodging, lost wages, child, pet and adult care