The Estorgas: A Family with a Broken Heart
12.21.22
Twenty-three-year-old Emiliano was diagnosed with heart failure two years ago. At first, he tried many medications but ultimately, his doctor said it wouldn’t be enough. Emiliano’s left ventricle wasn’t pumping the way it should.
That’s when his family traveled to Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, where they got more information about his heart. His mom, Rebecca, and dad, Sean, spent the first week in a hotel, thinking the visit would be a short one.
“We didn’t know how bad it was,” said Sean. “We were going to be around for a while, and that meant leaving our lives; leaving our home. Coming here to just take care of him and be there with him.”
Fortunately, the Ronald McDonald House had a place for them to call “home” for a while. And unlike a hotel, the Ronald McDonald House was filled with supportive people who really cared for their family.
“We stayed here for two months now. We would have never been able to afford this kind of hotel for that length of time.”
While in Tucson, Emiliano received a heart pump. He’s now stable while he waits for a new heart. A wait that will likely take a year. With his heart pump, he was able to go home and he’s feeling happy, and hopeful.
“We appreciate all that has been done for us at the Ronald McDonald House. All the people that are here have been so supportive in some way or another with us. Thank you.”
When you donate to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona, you provide a “home-away-from-home” for families like Emiliano’s.
