Jose Chua is already very frustrated after having been denied of a U.S. visa twice. But he's not giving up yet. Otherwise, he may be signing his own death sentence.
Chua, 20, currently lives in Mexico. He has a life-threatening congenital condition in which he only has one ventricle, which means he constantly suffers from circulatory problems. What makes his health issue even worse is he's also suffering from liver damage.
Although he's already gone through several cardiac surgeries, his implant doesn't function anymore. His only chance of living a more normal life for now is a double-organ transplant, which, unfortunately, is not available in his country.
Thus, he hopes to get into Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, but the only way to do that is if he can cross the border with a legitimate U.S. visa, which he doesn't have simply because his two previous tourist visa applications have already been denied.
The government doesn't have to provide any reason for the denial, citing confidentialities, but the mother, Myra Lopez, believes it has something to do with finances: how's he going to support himself while getting treatment in the U.S.?
The transplant is expected to be expensive. That's why his family and friends have already been raising funds, and so far, they have accumulated more than $15,000 to defray initial treatment costs.
Chua once had a U.S. visa, but it expired, and the family decided not to renew it due to financial constraints. His father, however, currently lives in Arizona.
Presently his receiving immense support from a US-based organization that extends help to people who need immediate health care but are uninsured, Consejo de Latinos Unidos. They have already submitted their third--and hopefully las--visa application. However, once Chua is already in the U.S., they are planning to sue the U.S. government as the problem "goes beyond Jose," according to its director, Kevin Forbes.
