A father in Phoenix, Arizona, is getting help toward his goal of a kidney transplant thanks to his young son.
Three months ago, nine-year-old Forest Gomez opened a lemonade stand to support his father, Jorge, 12 News reported Saturday.
When Forest learned about his dad’s health issue, he wanted to take action. Therefore, he asked if selling all of his toys would be a solution and raise enough money for the transplant.
Jorge assured the little boy he did not need to do that, but their family would find answers. Since that time, their family has helped the child run his lemonade stand where they also sell delicious horchata every weekend on Escuda Drive.
The father was diagnosed with kidney failure when he was 18, but his illness has grown worse, and he was told he needed to be on dialysis and get a transplant.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a kidney transplant is “a surgery to place a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor into a person whose kidneys no longer function properly.”
A kidney from a living donor can last approximately 15 to 20 years while one from a deceased donor can last eight to 12, per the National Kidney Foundation.
Jorge explained that his immigration status has barred him from being placed on a waiting list for a kidney and he is working to earn the money to pay for the expensive surgery.
For now, he paints homes and undergoes dialysis a few times a week. He said, “[My son is] looking up to me, so now I get up every morning for him. Every day is for him.”
As of Sunday afternoon, a GoFundMe created to help has raised $48,660 of its $800,000 goal.
In March 2023, Breitbart News reported that a woman hatched a months-long plan to donate a kidney to her father, even though he had repeatedly objected to the idea.
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