Gustavo Amaya

 

Serving my country, I can say with absolute that it was one of the most rewarding things in life. After 20 years of service, I retired and started working at O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, where I worked for 19 years. I slowly worked my way up to the District Manager, where I devoted my time to. A very important detail about myself is that I put my all into my work and passions. Being at O’Reilly’s for as long as I had allowed me to continue my passion for working on Vintage Volkswagens.

 

I have always worked hard for everything I have earned to provide for my wife and children. I am blessed to be a husband, father, and grandfather. I have been married to my wife for over 30 years and have three wonderful children, two daughters and a son. I also have a total of six grandchildren, three girls, and three boys in the perfect blend.

 

I did not grow up with a father figure in my household and due to unfortunate circumstances, I am my grandchildren’s only father figure. I tend to worry about what will happen if I am no longer around to provide that stability for my grandchildren. I was diagnosed with vasculitis in 2023 after noticing that I was continuously sick. After arriving at my doctor’s appointment, believing that it was nothing serious, I was informed
that I would have to go to the hospital due to being severely anemic. That was the day that I discovered my kidneys were no longer functioning. I spent ten days in the hospital going through medication infusions, to control my anemia, and my Vasculatius.

 

My diagnosis has brought many tribulations and hurdles for myself, as I had to learn to adjust to my sickness. At first, I believed that I would be able to power through the pain, and it would all work out for itself. However, as I prepare for dialysis, I have had to take a step back and reflect on how I need to slow down so I can get better not only myself but my family as well.