Guest Profile

Cristina Cancino

My name is Cristina! I am the recipient of two kidney transplants. I caught a rare kidney disease called Henoch-Schönlein Pupura (HSP) when I was six years old. They put me on Hemodialysis for a few months. My days as a young girl were spent in hospitals, Dr appointments and dialysis. There were many family and friends who kept me in prayer. While I was on dialysis my mom got tested to be my kidney donor, she was a perfect match. During my hospital stay the Make A Wish foundation came to me and told me I can wish for anything I wanted. Without hesitation I wished to meet Janet Jackson!!! She was my absolute favorite singer as a kid. I would study and do all her dances! My first transplant was on October 23, 1990. It was a success and my mom and I did great and recovered very well. A few months after is when we were contacted by the Make A Wish Foundation and they set up for me to meet Janet! Janet had a limousine pick up my mom and I and we headed to Janets house. She was amazing, so sweet, so loving. Meeting Janet Jackson was definitely a highlight of my life! After my transplant I was able to live life normally and that is what I did. In 2005 I gave birth to my one and only child Eric. He is my miracle baby, my blessing! Shortly after I started working for the Lake Elsinore Unified School District working one on one with children with autism and other learning disabilities. That is also where I met Trish! In 2011 my moms kidney started to reject after twenty one blessed years. I went back on dialysis and stayed on dialysis for close to ten years. There were and family who got tested but because I previously had a transplant and a pregnancy my antibodies were high and therefore made it hard to find a match. It was a rough ten years physically, mentally and emotionally. There were many times where I felt like I was going to be on dialysis for the rest of my life. My faith in Gods plan for my life is what kept me going. I knew he had the perfect kidney for me. I did have my moments of sadness, hopelessness and fear but I always went back to the words and promises of God. In March of 2020 my sister who is sixteen months younger than I started the process of testing to be my kidney donor. She also was a perfect match! On October 4, 2021 we had our transplant which was also a success! I have been truly blessed to have two of my family members be able to donate life to me! I am forever grateful and blessed. My mom and sister are both doing very well. It’s been a long journey but God has never left my side and continues to bless my life. I aspire to work with dialysis patients and share my story and provide comfort, hope and love! My whole life I’ve always had such a strong support system in my family and friends who have always kept me lifted in prayer! God is good, life is truly a blessing!