Andrew Garcia
Member Engagement and Claims Representative I
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A person who inspires you the most:
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Andrew Garcia
Author: Sara Berns
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Brittany Sipe
Brittany Sipe
Community Engagement and Claims Representative II
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Why FFAid: Firefighters are always there on the front lines for the community in times of need, so I like that I can be a part of being there for them directly if and when they are in need themselves.
A person who inspires you the most: My mom. She has shown me the importance of working hard, saving and investing, being kind, and making lasting connections with those you come in contact with; all while traveling the world, having a very successful career, and raising a family. Even in retirement, there are no signs of her slowing down.
How do you give back: Since 6th grade I have always had a passion for working with the special needs community. Through programs like Circle of Friends and Saturday Sidekicks, I have learned that everyone just needs a friend and someone to talk to, and I want to be that person for someone.
Tell us something about yourself: I love to golf, scrapbook, and travel. I have 2 black cats, and my dream dog is a Golden Retriever. My birthday is on Valentines Day, which definitely has its pros and cons I have learned since I’ve gotten older!
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Lorraine Hutchinson
Lorraine Hutchinson
Trustee
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Dan King
Dan King
Trustee
Hometown:
Why FFAid:
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Doug Nakama
Doug Nakama
Retired Board Director
Hometown: Carlsbad, CA
Why FFAid: I support and believe in our mission, which is to provide assistance for active and retired firefighter and our families in times of need, and to promote awareness of health and safety issues.
A person who inspires you the most: My uncle who owned and managed a strawberry farm. He among my family members taught me about having a strong work ethic. Both my uncle and mother were sent to internment camps during WWII which inspired me to stay strong no matter what the circumstances.
How do you give back: I have been a champion of non-profits such as the Burn Institute, YMCA and Big Brothers. I also served on the National Covid Vaccine committee during the pandemic targeting underserved communities.
Tell us something about yourself: I have been married for 30 years to my wife Janine. We have 27-year-old twin sons who are Mechanical Engineers. I have worked with the National Park Service, 26 years with the San Diego Fire Department and 35 years associated with the Urban Search and Rescue System.
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Sergio Rivera
SOFIA AND SERGIO’S STORY:
June 2019 was going well for the Rivera family. Sergio had just graduated from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s 87th Fire Academy, and they were moving to San Diego while he was on probation for a year. All was going great, but then, his daughter, 11-year-old Sofia began to feel nauseous and was vomiting frequently.
Sofia had always been pretty healthy, active, happy, and energetic. She participated in cheer, cross country, dance, and soccer. Her illness immediately prompted her dad to take her to Urgent Care in Los Angeles where she was diagnosed with a stomach flu and was given meds for the nausea. Sofia’s symptoms continued for 3 weeks, and on June 21st, everything changed. Sofia got very sick. Sergio knew something was very wrong, so they immediately took her to the local emergency room.
The doctors ran a lengthy list of tests, and 4 hours later, they determined that Sofia had kidney failure. On June 23rd, Sofia was admitted to Rady’s Children Hospital in San Diego. After more tests, doctors determined that Sofia had the autoimmune disease P ANCA Vasculitis. This was causing her end stage Renal Failure at only 11 years old. Sofia was required to undergo Hemodialysis and follow a severely strict diet for several months. Her family drove 50 miles each way, 3 times a week, for 6 months to attend Sofia’s 3 ½ hour long treatments. It was hard on the Rivera family physically, but it was painful for or them to watch their little angel be so strong during all of the tests and treatments. It took Sofia out of sports, out of school, and away from her friends and daily life of being a kid.
Thankfully, Sofia’s treatment was going well, so they transitioned to Hemodialysis once a week to help Sofia return to a semi-normal home life. She could now go to school and see her friends in a modified setting, but she still needed more medical care. Sofia needed a kidney transplant to save her life and would require a second one later down the road. The Rivera family was told by the UCLA transplant team that she would most likely be on the UNOS listing (the nation’s private non-profit organization that manages all organ transplants) for at least 2 years unless they could find a living donor. Immediately, Sergio submitted all the paperwork and endured all of the testing to see if he was a match for his baby girl. Sergio is a Firefighter, ready to save the lives of those he doesn’t know as a day job. He would stop at nothing to save the life of his little warrior princess, Sofia.
In April 2020, the family’s prayers were answered. Not only was Sergio a match for Sofia, but he was more than the required match percentage needed to donate one of his kidneys to his princess. Since this was Sofia’s first transplant, the higher percent match meant that there was a lower chance of her body’s rejection of the new kidney. Along with this good news, Sergio had just passed all of his testing to become an official San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Firefighter.
Surgery was scheduled at UCLA’s Transplant Center in July 2020. Sofia and Sergio were expected to be in the hospital for a few weeks to monitor the healing process and make sure that Sofia’s body didn’t reject Sergio’s kidney. After that, they would need 6-8 more weeks to heal and recover, keeping Sergio out of work for an extended period of time. The Rivera’s knew that they would need some assistance from their fire family so that they could focus on the surgery and Sofie’s health.
FirefighterAid quickly stepped in to help the newest members of our fire family. We assisted with a GoFundMe account that raised over the needed $15,000 goal, we helped to cover the cost of their accommodations for after the surgery and provided lots of love and support! And who was the #1 supporter of all this assistance?! It was YOU!
Sergio and Sofia had a more than successful transplant surgery! Sofia’s kidney started producing urine before the anesthesia had even worn off. The specialist at UCLA said that it seemed as though Sergio grew the perfect organ his daughter needed. The amazing duo was so strong they only had to stay in the after-care facility for one week.
When you have a person who is willing to risk their own life in exchange for someone else’s on the daily, it’s amazing to see what they can do when they know who they are risking their life for… especially their little girl. Sergio and Sofia are doing extremely well post-surgery! They’ve been getting right back to their active lifestyles by working out and hiking regularly. The Rivera family has asked us to pass on a message to you all as they are extremely thankful for all the support you have given them.
RIVERA PRESS LINKS:
7/28/2020 – Sergio and Sofia’s Transplant and Recovery
9/31/2020 – Sergio and Sofia Update