February 21, 2024
From planning his funeral to celebrating his wedding
Gabriel Abarca had no hope for his future. Then the team at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center’s Cystic Fibrosis Center changed his mind and his life.
Gabriel Abarca (right) with his wife, Tatiana
Being a teenager is hard for anyone, but for Gabriel Abarca, it felt hopeless. At 14 years old, he needed to be hospitalized every 2 weeks like clockwork. He dropped out of school, and his mental health also suffered.
Just 11 years later, his future is looking bright thanks to his care team at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center’s Cystic Fibrosis Center.
Tragedy led to a dark time
Abarca and his sister, Briana Abarca, were both born with cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that causes thick, sticky mucus to accumulate in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. The mucus causes blockages, damage, and infections, and until recently, reduced the lifespan of a person with cystic fibrosis to about 32 years, at best. Sadly, Briana Abarca did not get this much time. She died of cystic fibrosis at the age of 12, leading Abarca to depression and thoughts of suicide.
“When my sister passed away, it was very difficult. She was the only person who understood what I was going through.”
Abarca refused to continue his cystic fibrosis treatments, and his health worsened. He even began planning his funeral.
“I thought to myself, ‘Why am I prolonging my life and making myself suffer with these treatments if I am just going to die?’”
Building a brighter future
Fortunately, Abarca’s care team at Los Angeles Medical Center’s Cystic Fibrosis Center had bright hopes for his future. Muhammad Saeed, MD, pediatric program director for the center, says the center’s patient outcomes rival those of top programs across the county.
“We excel in screenings and our care guideline follow-ups, and we are very patient-focused. We know all our patients very well and work one-on-one with them,” said Dr. Saeed.
The close relationship that Abarca developed with his pediatric pulmonary specialist, Eugene Sohn, MD, helped change his entire outlook on life. After Dr. Sohn shared deeply personal and inspirational words, Abarca became determined to make the most of the time he had left. Then, in 2019, Abarca became eligible to take a new, highly effective medication that dramatically improved his health and life.
Now, at 25 years old, Abarca is looking forward to the future. He enrolled in college, got a job, and went from planning his funeral to celebrating his wedding with his new wife, Tatiana.
Helping patients live longer, healthier lives
Los Angeles Medical Center’s Cystic Fibrosis Center is just one of the many centers around the country working to help cystic fibrosis patients live longer than ever. The new predicted survival age of a baby born today with cystic fibrosis is 68 years.
Visit our Instagram page to learn more about Parker Fry, another patient at Los Angeles Medical Center’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, who is 3 years old and thriving.
