Wednesday, October 22, 1997
Whatever happened to Nick Provenzano of Kaimuki, who was heading to California for a barrage of tests to determine his eligibility for a liver transplant and who doctors said back in June had only one year left to live? Kaimuki man awaits
liver transplantOn the advice of doctors, Provenzano moved to California in July with his two young sons to be eligible for the liver-transplant waiting list at UCLA.
Provenzano, 43, is a single parent and was diagnosed with hepatitis C in 1990. Since then, his declining health has been a constant struggle for him and his sons. He still is uncertain how he contracted the disease.
He takes a daily regimen of 50 different pills to help his ailing liver function and to fend off recurring infections caused by his compromised immune system. He has been hospitalized five times since arriving in California.
Due to the severity of his condition, he is unable to work while he awaits a liver transplant, and is uncertain when he will receive it. He and his sons are living off Social Security and get further help from his 74-year-old mother, who still lives in Kaimuki.
One of Provenzano's greatest concerns is affording the cost of the myriad of medications he must take. He has had to forgo purchasing some of them because he can no longer afford them and support his sons. His medical insurance does not cover prescription drugs. Provenzano is renting an apartment about 60 miles from UCLA and remains hopeful for himself and his boys that the wait for a transplant will soon be over.