To all our visitors, We would like to thank you for stopping by the Eric De La Cruz Hope for Hearts Tumblr blog. We hope you’ll take the time to read Eric’s story, learn how you can get involved and help raise awareness. Eric De La Cruz was a college student, musician, brother, son and friend when he fell ill. A prognosis of severe dilated cardiomyopathy changed his life and taught him he would need a heart transplant in order to survive. At the time, Eric had Nevada Medicaid, which he learned was not portable. This was a huge catastrophe, as Nevada didn’t have a heart transplant center. Eric would have to go to California or Utah for the procedure. Since there were no transplant centers in the state of Nevada, Eric was forced to leave the state and his insurance behind. The process left Eric not only uninsured, but uninsurable. Eric was refused private health insurance due to his illness, which was now being referred to as a “pre-existing medical condition”. Desperate for a solution, Eric’s sister - former CNN TV journalist and current NBC News Anchor and Correspondent Veronica De La Cruz—launched a massive online campaign, using social media tools, like Facebook and Twitter, in hopes of raising funds to cover Eric’s operation. It was a procedure that would cost close to 1 million dollars out-of-pocket. With help from friends and family, along with celebrities like Trent Reznor, frontman for the band Nine Inch Nails, all coupled with the kindness of strangers- Veronica was able to raise enough money to move forward with her brother’s surgery. Unfortunately, it was too late. On July 4th, 2009, Eric De La Cruz died waiting for a heart transplant. He was just 27 years old. Veronica created the Eric De La Cruz Hope for Hearts Foundation soon after Eric’s passing to make sure her brother’s story was the last of its kind. Since then, the Foundation has devoted time, energy, and funds to help heart transplant candidates in need, lobby Congress for health care reform and raise awareness on the issue. This blog will keep followers informed with the latest health care news during a critical time in which our nation struggles to ensure equal access to health care for all. We’ll also share the progress of our transplant candidates and document their journeys along the way. To those familiar with Eric’s story, we appreciate your continued support and to all newcomers, welcome. We look forward to your involvement and thank you for standing with us in our efforts. The Eric De La Cruz Hope for Hearts Foundation
