Nicolas Espinosa’s hopes for his 11-year-old daughter are basic and profound: He wants her to stay alive and be able to eat normally someday. And she might, if she can get three organs transplanted—and if the U.S. immigration system doesn’t get in the way.
It’s extremely expensive and specialized care that Espinosa said Julia could not get in his home country of Ecuador, where they had planned to return. Instead, the family moved to Seattle 10 years ago to be near Seattle Children’s Hospital, where specialists can manage Julia’s nutritional needs well. Still, getting nutrition through infusions is not something the human body was designed for, and it has done damage to her internal organs.
“We are relying on the current health insurance to keep her on the transplant list,” Espinosa said. “If I cannot keep my health insurance, then my daughter might not be eligible for a transplant.” The family still can’t rest easy, though. Espinosa’s application for a new work permit has not yet been approved. He can still lose his job and insurance at the end of July if the new permit is not granted in time, which is far from a certainty.
“The problem is that there is no legal framework behind what I have,” Espinosa said. “Deferred action is not a visa, it’s just a decision from the government not to deport.” That was when Julia faced the first immigration-related threat to her life. At the time, the Trump administration suspended all medical deferred action. Facing lawsuits and a public outcry, the administration relented, but Espinosa couldn’t work legally for a year and a half. Working off the books could have put him in further jeopardy. He said they survived on “mercy and family support” from relatives in Ecuador.
They’ve beaten the odds by doing anything and everything that is in their control. What isn’t in their control is the federal bureaucracyEven some of the things that are in their control, like choosing where to live to give Julia the best shot, can be problematic. Espinosa said some other states and regions of the country tend to have greater availability of organs. While Julia remains stable, staying where they are makes the most sense.
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