Darleen Click
Protein Wisdom
12/8/2012
So says Jorge Mariscal, illegal alien now in possession of a “free kidney” after a local pastor helped him browbeat the hospital’s other insured American citizens into paying for the transplant.
To get a head start on his future medical bills, Mariscal started raising money three years ago. Together with Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Little Village, he has raised thousands of dollars through benefit concerts and other events.The Rev. Jose Landaverde, pastor of the mission, said he felt compelled by the Gospel to help Mariscal after hearing his story.
“Jorge is a lot of hope for the community,” he said. “I believe that the Gospel moves us to be in solidarity with one another.”
Aside from his help with fundraising, Landaverde organized a 21-day hunger strike in June against hospitals that denied transplants to patients because of their undocumented status.
Landaverde said that after the strike, in addition to Mariscal’s treatment at Loyola, the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center agreed to evaluate Lorenzo Arroyo, another illegal immigrant, for a possible liver transplant. Rush University Medical Center also placed Arroyo’s brother, Elfego, on a transplant waiting list. Both brothers suffer from primary amyloidosis, a genetic liver disease…
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But wait! There’s more! From the comments senction at the site:
geoffb says December 8, 2012 at 9:41 am
Metropolitan Alliance of Congregations and Pilsen Neighbors
Position Organizer, Volunteer Leader
Network, Gamaliel
Organizational Form Congregation Based Organization, Institutional Membership, Network, Organizational Membership/ Organization of Organizations, Policy Institute/ Organization
Single Issue or Multi-Issue? Multi-Issue
Issue, Banking & Reinvestment, Community / Economic Development, Redlining, Urban Renewal
Funding, Business/ Corporate, Churches, Dues, Foundations, Fundraisers, Individual Contributions
Constituency, African Americans, Congregations, Farmers/Agricultural Workers, Latino/Chicano, Neighborhood groups
Leaders Developed, Leticia Guerrero, Alejandra Ibanez, Victoria Romero, Carla Peralta, Jose Landaverde
Gamaliel, Obama’s community organizer home base.
