Anareli’s Story of Courage
This holiday season, we’re telling the story of one remarkable little girl and her family, who became so special to all of us at Family House.
Before she even took her first breath, doctors knew that little Anareli Lopez from Manteca, CA, would face big challenges. During pregnancy, her parents, Danielle and Rodolfo, learned that their baby girl had been diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) — a condition where the kidneys permanently lose function, requiring long-term dialysis or a transplant.
When Anareli was born, she entered the world ready to fight. Although the Lopez family didn’t know what her future would look like, they knew that a kidney transplant would give her the best chance at living a healthy life. After three years of waiting, Anareli was strong enough to receive a life-changing kidney transplant in July 2025. The donor was none other than her mom, Danielle.
“Giving my daughter a kidney was the easiest hard thing I’ve ever done,” Danielle shared. “I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
During the long months of recovery, Family House became a constant source of comfort and care. The Lopez family first arrived in August 2023, unsure of what lay ahead — but soon, Family House felt like home. “It feels like just yesterday we were settling in,” Danielle wrote in a note of thanks to staff. “So many appointments and all the chaos of her journey — now we’re already looking back on so many wonderful memories, all the laughs and milestones we got to share with you guys.”
“The care and support here have been invaluable,” Danielle continued. “From the smallest gestures to the grandest acts of kindness, the staff has consistently gone above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and at home. You’ve made my babies feel all the love and care as if they were your very own.”
This October, the Lopez family got to go home. Anareli will continue to come back to Family House for routine appointments at the hospital, but her little three-year-old self is bright, outgoing, and finding her place at home again. Her parents and baby brother, Sammie, have stood by her side through countless treatments, long hospital stays, and moments of both fear and hope — and are now looking forward to living life together, at home.
Danielle’s words capture what Family House means to so many families — a place of belonging during the hardest times.
“We feel incredibly lucky to have you in our lives and are so grateful for the bond we’ve created,” Danielle expressed. ”This is not a goodbye, it’s a see you soon.”
