In virus era, El Paso dialysis patient fights to live to see a special day

EL PASO, Texas -- ABC-7 has gotten hundreds of calls and emails from people complaining about others not taking precautions for the spread of Covid-19.

One of those people ABC-7 heard from is someone who is fighting to live to see a special day.

Fernado Sepulveda could be your uncle, father, or even grandfather.

“I'm sixty-five years young,” Fernando said.

But don’t let the good spirits fool you, Fernando has end-stage renal disease, his kidney doesn’t work as it should.

He receives dialysis treatments three days a week and it isn’t easy.

“First of all they lay you on a bed for four hours while they drain the blood out of you,” Fernando said.

Fernando fights to stay healthy because he has one day to look forward to.

“I've been watching everything I do so i can make it to my daughters wedding,” Fernando said.

His daughter, Adrianna Sepulveda, has a wedding scheduled for Halloween of this year.

“It’s inspiring, it really is, it’s a big day,” Adrianna said.

But after a needed medical trip to the store — Fernando noticed hardly anyone was social distancing, wearing gloves or masks.

“I was hot! Nobody knows if the person next to you, behind you, or the person behind them has the virus,” Fernando said.

”It is absolutely infuriating and ignorant, you have to look at it in the face and call it what it is, it’s ignorant,” Adrianna said.

Adrianna told ABC-7 it’s disappointing when they take so many precautions to keep Fernando healthy.

“We try and do the curbside pick up, the Walmart grocery delivery, anything to not go out into the world,” Adrianna said.

The father and daughter have a message for those not taking the pandemic seriously.

“They could be bringing the disease home to their parents, to their kids, they have to think about stuff like that,” Fernando said.

“This is just one more thing we have to get through, but we’re only going to get through together, as a whole community,” Adrianna said