LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 to celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Hispanic Americans.
There's a different theme for Hispanic Heritage Month each year.
This year the theme is 'Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together,' recognizing and honoring the legacy, contributions, and advocacy for Latinos in healthcare.
Gustavo Cappelmann was born and raised until age 11 in Mexico City. At 11, Cappelmann got very sick and his family moved to Louisville for better healthcare options.
He was diagnosed with diabetes at a young age, and then was told his kidneys were failing.
“Once I knew my kidney was failing, it was more shocking. It didn’t really hit me until I was in dialysis, and I was getting blood infusions and things like that," Cappelmann said.
He underwent dialysis treatment for three years. Leaning on his family for support throughout all the treatments.
"My mom was my backbone; she was my support every time," Cappelmann said.
He added his name to the transplant list, waiting for the phone to ring and the voice on the other end to bear good news.
“I got called four times to do my transplants. The first time, it was not a go. The second time, we hoped it was going to happen. The third time, it had cancelled. So, you start losing a little hope…like when is this going to happen?" he said. “I definitely was losing a little bit of hope to how the system was, just because there’s so many people waiting for transplants.”
And then, he got the news he and his family had been hoping for.
"I remember the doctor coming in, yep this is it! It's happening! I start crying, my mom starts crying, everybody was so happy. I was definitely an exciting moment," Cappelmann said. “It feels like it was just yesterday that I was getting the call at three in the morning that it was happening.”
After years of waiting, Cappelmann received a kidney and pancreas transplant.
Two years post-transplant, Cappelmann is working in downtown Louisville at the Cambria hotel, has recently gotten married, and the support system has never left his side.
"I'm definitely very happy and blessed and lucky most of all," he said. “My life is back to normal. I don’t have to dialysis anymore, my social life is good, I can travel a lot now.”
Now, Cappelmann is using his voice to shed light on the importance of organ donation.
"These things, you don't know are happening until it actually happens to us or to a family member when we start to realize it's actually a real issue," he said. “Don’t be naïve about transplants. If you have the opportunity to sign up for the list, and help, do it. You’re saving a lot of lives of people.”
As of March 2024, more than 103,000 people are on the national transplant waiting list. 1,000 of those are Kentuckians.
You can register to become a donor in Kentucky by visiting Donate Life KY.
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