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Ortiz was diagnosed with kidney failure two years ago at the age of 29 and needed dialysis and a transplant. His younger sister, Marlene, volunteered to donate hers but since she lives in the Dominican Republic it was still difficult to complete.
"She didn't hesitate when she found out he needed a kidney," Ortiz's wife Karina Sosa said. "They've always been close."
Ortiz came to Paterson three years ago from the Domenican Republic. He worked in a warehouse before his condition worsened.
Sosa said he's doing better now that the process to complete the transplant is moving along.
"He's a shy but loving person," she said. "Very caring. He's that person that when you need him it's like, 'Yeah we can be best friends from here on.'"
Ortiz and Sosa want to help fund Marlene's medical expenses to prepare for the transplant. Sosa started a GoFundMe campaign and there will be fundraisers in Paterson and the Domenican Republic to help, she said. On Saturday Sosa's cousin will host a dinner party to collect donations.
"The support, it's been huge," Sosa said, "more than I thought it would be."
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