Summer Castillo

Summer Jade Castillo

Transplant Type: Kidney

Update: Summer received a transplant on May 25, 2020!

Summer Castillo is awaiting a new lease on life. She was diagnosed with Glomerulonephritis, an inflammatory kidney disease, when she was only 13-years-old. Her diagnosis came as a shock, as she was young and previously healthy, and there is no family history of kidney disease. Her doctors treated her condition aggressively with steroids, chemotherapy, and plasmapheresis. Thankfully, her kidneys regained function after a month of treatments and she has continued them off and on since then. Unfortunately, the treatments were not enough and her kidneys completely failed last year. Summer went on dialysis, which leaves her tired and takes a toll on her quality of life. Doctors say a kidney transplant is critical.

During this difficult time, Summer is grateful for the love and support of her family and friends. She is a 22-year-old college student, but has had to take some time off from school since her kidneys completely failed. She is living with her family until she can receive a transplant so they can help care for her. Summer’s illness has been a battle for her and her family, but it has made them stronger and they are thankful to have each other.

Summer enjoys hanging out with her friends and going on adventures to new places, but her lack of energy and dialysis schedule prevent her from being very active now. She looks forward to receiving a transplant that will free her from dialysis and allow her to feel like a normal person again. Summer wants nothing more than to be healthy so she can finish college, not have to worry about how much she eats and drinks each day, enjoy life with her family and friends, and live her life to the fullest. But right now, she needs your help.

The average kidney transplant costs more than $414,000, and that’s only the beginning. Even with insurance, which will cover a portion of the transplant costs, Summer still faces significant expenses related to the surgery. For the rest of her life, she will need follow-up care and anti-rejection medications. Post-transplant medications are very expensive, and they’re as critical to her survival as the transplant itself. Summer lives 60 miles from her transplant center. When she receives her transplant, she will have to stay nearby while she recovers, incurring substantial expenses for travel, food, and lodging.

You can help by making a tax-deductible donation to NFT in honor of Summer. If you'd prefer to send your gift by mail, please send it to National Foundation for Transplants, 3249 W. Sarazen’s Circle, Suite 100, Memphis, TN 38125. Please be sure to write "in honor of Summer Castillo” in the memo line.

Transplant Center: Baylor Scott & White