Fontana Girl Helps Neighbor with Lupus
As a result of this story more than two dozen viewers contacted the station offering to donate a kidney. Sadly Marina died of complications of her disease before she got healthy enough to undergo transplant surgery.
Reporter: Christine Devine
Video Story Producer: Gerri Shaftel
Fontana - Natalie Quijado, a remarkable 4th grader from Fontana, is a real-life "Little Miss Sunshine." The 10-year-old girl helps her neighbor Marina Carrillo, who suffers from Lupus and is raising an autistic child.
Marina is on dialysis and has been on the kidney transplant waiting list for ten years.
Natalie drops by Marina's home every day and she brings in mail, takes out the trash and folds laundry. Almost every afternoon, Natalie gives Marina a leg and foot massage to improve her circulation.
Now Natalie is asking for help to save Marina's life.
Marina Carrillo and 10-year-old Natalie Quijada agree that the most important thing everyone can do to help people on the Kidney Transplant Waiting list, is to register your wish to be an organ donor on your driver's license.
A person with two healthy kidneys can donate one of them while still alive to another person of simlar blood/tissue type.
Dr. Oz told Natalie and Marina that the risk to a kidney donor is minimal over time. The results for the recipient are usually life changing.
If you'd like to get in touch with Natalie or Marina, please send a note to FOX 11 News Medical Producer Gerri Shaftel at gerri.shaftel@foxtv.com .
To learn more about Lupus and get help if you have it, visit lupusla.org or the Lupus Foundation of America website at www.lupus.org
To learn more about living kidney donors, visit lkdn.org .