Hello family, friends, #YellowHeartSquad, and all those who've been part of or just joined my journey!

Let me start by stating:

No, unfortunately, I'm not 'kidding' you.

It breaks my heart to share that, once again, I am facing a serious health complication.

In June 2022, I was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). What started as a visit to the emergency department at UCLA Medical Center proved much worse than any of my medical teams initially thought. I wish I could say that this wasn't happening right now, and I still have many years to prepare emotionally, physically, and spiritually for this newest mountain I must climb. But the truth is, I have already started dialysis multiple days a week to compensate for the failing kidneys... And I will need a kidney transplant in the near future to survive this ordeal. I'm sorry It has taken me a while to be ready to share this because I needed to understand the process, what is required of my loved ones, and what will be required of me.

It became clear that I would have to fundraise, which is never easy. I wish I could say that the treatments required to keep me alive were affordable, and even with insurance, between hospitalizations, ESRD outpatient treatments, and also my everyday medical requirements due to the lung transplant, it's a heavy financial burden that is on top of the living expenses that we all have.

I'm not going to go into too much detail at the moment concerning the timeline because it constantly changes. I will, however, address the biggest question that I have received over the past few years because I think it speaks to my ability to stay positive through this now:

"HOW DO YOU DO IT? Something would have to give, RIGHT? Whether it's the mind, body, or spirit, how could you possibly face yet another life-and-death scenario?"

The answer is simple - I know that there are people that look to me for hope, and with each of them, I look back at them for hope. Whenever someone tells me that somehow my story has inspired them, motivated them to do something, or helped them through their own trials or tribulations, it is a lifeline of hope that I hold on to in dire moments throughout my life, such as the current one. Hope is all that is left when the floor falls from beneath us, and we have nothing to grab onto. It's what enables us to take that plunge with the floor, and instead of looking up at how far we've fallen, we look around at all we've just survived. Then we stand back up and begin to climb again.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Any donation amount helps in this race to kidney transplant! All donations are tax-deductible via Strengthline Foundation EIN #55-0886279

***If you are interested in becoming a living-kidney donor and would like to be tested, please visit HERE for more info.

Travis Flores

TRAVIS FLORES, ARE YOU 'KIDNEY' ME?!

End-stage renal disease is no joke... but joy & laughter will carry me to a KIDNEY TRANSPLANT!

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