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Juana Hernandez

Even at her sickest, Juana Hernandez believed in helping her family and community. With her donor's kidney, she has much more energy to continue serving those around her.

Juana Hernandez has always been a strong woman, hardworking and dedicated to her family. When she got sick, even though she never knew what caused her illness, she faced it without giving up. For 7 years, Juana faced dialysis for four hours, three days a week. She was often tired, but she tried to make her life feel as normal as possible and never hesitated to have a positive attitude. She believed that she would receive the gift of life, a kidney transplant, some day, and so she took care of herself.

Throughout her sickness, Juana sought help. In addition to dialysis, she learned about the transplant process. On May 28, 2015, Juana received a kidney from a generous deceased donor. As her health improved, her personal and professional life also improved. She dedicated herself to helping the Latino community around her and working to get Latino families the resources they need.

Juana’s family was touched by donation and transplantation again when her brother-in-law passed away and became an organ donor. He saved the lives of two people by donating his kidney and his heart. Their family continues to share the life-giving cause of organ, eye, and tissue donation. They want to continue reaching the Latino community to help them learn about the importance of becoming organ, eye, and tissue donors.