DEVINE, Texas — In 2021 Karina Garcia says she was a normal teenager, but later that year she was diagnosed with lupus. In December 2021 she got COVID, making her lupus more aggressive, that's when her kidneys began to fail.
"I just went downhill I wasn't able to get up and walk. I went down to 80 pounds. I was bedridden, went through chemotherapy, throwing up all the time," says Garcia.
Garcia is need of a kidney, so to raise awareness she put up signs in her hometown of Devine. Garcia is on a waitlist but that could take years. She's in need of a donor with a blood type O. Until she finds a donor Garcia will spend 8 hours a day on dialysis.
The Devine community has also rallied behind her to help with medical expenses.
August is National Donor Awareness Month, which focuses on outreach and education. According to the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, 43% of those waiting for an organ transplant are Hispanic.
In Texas there are 10,000 people waiting for an organ transplant and 8,000 are waiting for a kidney. The organization says they encourage education on becoming an organ donor.
Garcia says finding a donor would be life changing, especially for her son, 3-year-old Brayden.
"He always says mom has to go to the doctor, be strong you got this mom," says Garcia.
If you would like to help Karina she says you can contact her at 210-527-0003.
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