Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Margarita Gamboa.
Maria Margarita, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My name is María Margarita, and I’m from Venezuela. The only child of a single mother. I was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1971. I believe in God, love, friendship and good faith. I am in love with LIFE, ballet, art, music and photography. I have a Law Degree, a specialization in International and Economic Law, an MBA in International Business and I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Management Research and Business Economy. I have been a Business School Professor at the Universidad Metropolitana since 1997. I dedicated my life to research, teach and advice university students in entrepreneurship, management and family business.
In April 2007, I had a series of health complications, including atypical viral pneumonia and chronic encephalitis. I spent several days in a coma. I was subsequently diagnosed with systemic scleroderma and pulmonary fibrosis, among other diseases.
At first, I couldn’t believe what was happening to me. I thought I was just tired from overworking, but as time went by, I was continuously short of breath. When I was finally placed on oxygen, my outlook really changed. For the next four years, I was using oxygen concentrators. My quality of life fell apart. I couldn’t climb stairs to go to classrooms, and I often felt like I was drowning. It got worse and worse, and eventually getting out of bed, walk or go to the bathroom was a struggle. Showering was agony.
My health was so frail that I was advised to be waitlisted for a double lung transplant, but this procedure was not available in Venezuela. I tried seeking care from other countries, including Spain, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and even the U.S.
I was receiving the maximum amount of supplemental oxygen at the time, and I was on the verge of death. Finally, in October 2014, I was approved for a double lung transplant at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. I remember this day as one of the happiest days of my entire life. I’ll never forget when the nurse said: “It’s a go.” On December 23, I received the best Christmas gift ever: new lungs.
To cover the expenses to pay for my transplant, I created a campaign in which my mom and I made and sold more than 100,000 handmade bracelets with a message that read “Breathing is Living.”
It has been four very complex years, but I have lived to the fullest. In 2018, as a consequence of my treatment and many conditions, I was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 5, and now I require a life-saving kidney transplant.
These days, I appreciate every second of my life and I’m grateful for each breath. I’m passionate about the importance of organ donation. I am a Respirar Es Vivir Ambassador and Spokesperson, Donate Life & United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Ambassador and a Mentor of the Lung Transplant Foundation. As part of these programs, I share my experience and inspire people to sign up—especially the Hispanic community in the US. I don’t want people to take breathing for granted. I will continue to educate others about this cruel disease, and raise awareness about the importance of breathing in our lives.
After being connected to supplemental oxygen for four years, using wheelchairs, and unable to even go to the bathroom by myself, I call organ donation the most wonderful miracle of modern medicine because today, I can BREATHE.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Is not been a smooth road it has been very hard. Living with a chronic condition is a real challenge. We are educated since childhood that diseases are cured, that if something hurts, you take a medication and you will be cured.
In the case of chronic conditions, it is not like that, they are for a lifetime and you have to learn to live with them, which means a great mental and emotional challenge for people. It is a daily challenge competition. Additionally, I had to change everything I had achieved both professionally and personally, to be alive. It has meant changing my lifestyle completely, but it was worth it, I would do it again without a doubt.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
Respirar es Vivir Foundation aims to inspire, develop, benefit, promote, encourage and raise awareness and direct different plans for the prevention, treatment and cure of chronic obstructive respiratory diseases, to improve the quality of life of individuals who suffer these illnesses, especially patients with pulmonary fibrosis, emphasizing the importance of breathing and lung transplantation and organ donation.
Our goals are to support patients with chronic obstructive respiratory diseases like Pulmonary Fibrosis and Pulmonary Hypertension, through transportation services for patients who need oxygen; loan respiratory equipment such as oxygen concentrators and portables; donation of nasal cannulas and others respiratory accessories; provide consultation when it comes to sharing cases in order to finance medical expenses and support and educate patients and their families in the process of lung transplantation, among others.
For us, it is very important to raise awareness about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation to save lives, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of registered organ donors in the US.
We are expanding our work to reach a greater number of people in the US community. During the following years, we are planning numerous activities including events, workshops, fundraising activities and educational programs to be held at health fairs, religious organizations, schools, school presentations, and community support programs.
I am very proud that through the Foundation we raise the funds to complete the payment of my lung transplant through the elaboration of more than 100 thousand handmade bracelets, which we continue making to finance part of our operations.
What were you like growing up?
My family remembers that when I was little, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I replied: “famous.” One day I was walking with my dad at the university where I work, and I greeted the students nonstop, my dad said, “You did it.”
I grew up in Caracas, a wonderful city, where there were no cell phones or online shopping and friends met to go to the movies every week. My house was in Los Chorros, a precious area full of trees, with the most beautiful mountain in the world in the background: El Avila. There I lived the best moments, I had the best friends and I fell in love with my first boyfriend, whose crush lasted me many years.
My house was full of love, with a dad who decided to be my dad, and with my mom, to make me who I am. I was always spoiled. I studied all my life in a French school, where everything was different and there was a lot of openness in the learning processes and diversity. I was always a very good student and especially responsible, but without a doubt, having studied at the Colegio Francia completely changed the course of my life. Since childhood, I have been very sociable and I have always loved to socialize and participate in many activities and help others.
I remember that my dad made me listen to classical and jazz music every weekend, and then reminded me of the names of the authors and of each of the compositions, while during the week I did classical ballet in my school for 12 years and art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.respiraresvivir.org
- Phone: 7863250920
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margaragamboa/ – https://www.instagram.com/respiraresvivir/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/respiraresvivir.org/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/margaragamboa
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgamboa/
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