Gloria's Story
A day does not pass that Leticia Ramos does not
think about her mother's liver transplant.
Gloria Ramos, mother to Veronica and Leticia Ramos, contracted Hepatitis C through a blood transfusion in 1982, but the virus lived undetected in her body for 15 years. By then, the disease had done considerable damage to her liver. After three months of treatment failed to improve Gloria's advanced cirrhosis, she was referred to the Liver Transplant Service at UCSF.
The Gift of Life
Because the wait list is so long, both Leticia and Veronica were tested to be living donors. Veronica turned out to be an ideal match. There was no question- she would donate part of her liver to her mother.
In this procedure, part of the liver is surgically removed from a healthy donor; the remaining portion grows back to normal in just a few months. Meanwhile, with the help of immune suppressant medications to avoid rejection, the donated liver tissue grows to full size and function in the transplant recipient.
John P. Roberts, MD, Chief of the Division of Transplant Surgery, and Nancy L. Ascher MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Surgery, worked in adjacent operating rooms, one performing the harvest procedure on Veronica, the other transplanting the portion of Veronica's liver into Gloria. "Oh my gosh, it was amazing how alert I was and how different things were for me almost as soon as I woke up after the surgery," Gloria recalls.
Giving Back After Recovery
Within two months, Veronica was teaching a roomful of kindergarteners. Soon, Gloria was back leading her own classroom - first grade. Since then, both have become volunteers, encouraging donors and sharing their transplant experiences with others awaiting the surgery. In 2008, Gloria and her husband, Ruben, were honored by El Camino Hospital's support group T.R.I.O (Transplant Recipient International Organization) for their outstanding dedication and service.
Leticia's Love Story
Leticia and her
fiancé, Todd Madeiros will be exchanging wedding vows on October 24, 2009. Their
wedding falls in the same month as the ninth anniversary of her
mother's transplant and her sister's gift, so the family
has much to celebrate.
When her mother was gravely ill, Leticia feared that her mother would not witness her wedding. She is so thankful that her mother is by her side and able to witness such wonderful events- such as her wedding, meeting her new extended family, and finding her wedding dress.
Looking back on the experience, Leticia has said, "It was overwhelming and wonderful. The physicians were just awesome. In one word- 'amazing'."
Wedding Bells
Because Leticia and Todd feel so blessed, they want their friends and family to have the option of making a donation to UCSF's Liver Transplant Service in place of a wedding gift. They know first-hand how a transplant can save a person's life and want to support the important research efforts taking place at UCSF.
If you would like to make a donation in honor of Leticia and Todd, please make your check payable to the UCSF Foundation. In the memo line or on an accompanying note, please indicate "Liver Transplant Service at UCSF in honor of Leticia Ramos and Todd Madeiros' wedding." Please send your donation to:
Regan Botsford
UCSF
220 Montgomery Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
Or click here to make your donation online. After selecting a gift type the form will auto-populate to direct gifts to the Liver Transplant Fund in honor of Leticia and Todd. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Regan Botsford, Director of Development for the Department of Surgery, directly at (415) 502-1473 or rbotsford@support.ucsf.edu.
Living Proof
In 2003, Gloria and Veronica's story was featured in UCSF Medical Center's "Living Proof Campaign." Gloria and Veronica continue to be living proof of the tremendous accomplishments at UCSF.