500th Liver Transplant Patient at Loma Linda University Medical Center Gets Ready to go Home by Herbert Atienza - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ OCTOBER ►
S M T W T F S
27 28 29 30 01 02 03
04 05 06 07 08 09 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
View Events
Submit Events

500th Liver Transplant Patient at Loma Linda University Medical Center Gets Ready to go Home

By Herbert Atienza,
April 9, 2014 at 11:56am. Views: 96

Francisco Munoz was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center several weeks ago barely clinging to life and in dire need of a liver transplant. Today, the 52-year-old Inland Empire local is undergoing rehabilitation and preparing to go home, after becoming the 500th patient to receive a liver transplant at the world-renowned medical center. “I am very happy to have received a liver and I look forward to being home again,” said Munoz, a farm worker. “My wish is to go back home and be able to spend time with my children.” A lifetime of alcohol use, starting when he was a teen, and a diagnosis of Hepatitis C, is blamed for the deterioration of Munoz’s liver. He had stopped drinking alcohol and has been sober for a while now, but a toll had already been taken on his liver. “If I had known how much suffering I would have because of alcohol, I never would have started,” he said. Munoz had been on a liver transplant list, and received a liver transplant on March 1, after being taken to the hospital in very serious condition. He was on life support and in a coma for weeks. “He would not have made it otherwise,” said Dr. Michael de Vera, his liver transplant surgeon and director of the Loma Linda University Medical Center Transplantation Institute. “It truly is teamwork -- a multi-disciplinary team effort on the part of the different professionals and departments within the hospital,” Dr. de Vera said. He said the first liver transplant at the hospital was done in 1993, and the program has since matured and improved over the years. Munoz, who is undergoing rehabilitation from the transplant, hopes to return home to his three children this week.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Ruby Steohenson, Community Writer

September 30, 2026 at 11:54am. Views: 122

Families across the Inland Empire celebrate the arrival of fall with pumpkins, costumes and community festivals, as October brings a full calendar of seasonal activities throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

September 30, 2026 at 09:09am. Views: 284

The City of Grand Terrace tackles rodent control maintenance by supporting its natural nighttime rodent hunters with tiny homes. Learn how the city is giving nature a chance to help.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

September 29, 2026 at 10:08am. Views: 558

One of the largest car shows in the Inland Empire, Rendezvous Back to Route 66, returns on October 10. Located in the heart of San Bernardino, the event brings the community together to enjoy local vendors, live entertainment, activities for all ages, and more than 1,000 classic cars.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

September 29, 2026 at 10:08am. Views: 346

Golfers gathering for a day on the course. The Loma Linda Chamber of Commerce’s 36th Annual Golf Tournament is scheduled for October 21.

Photo Courtesy of: grandterrace-ca.gov/government/elected_officials/city_council

By Margie Miller, Publisher, Community Writer

September 30, 2026 at 09:09am. Views: 300

Councilman Doug Wilson, serving Grand Terrace and seeking another term in the November 2026 election, read more about him and his values.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.electshorett.com

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

September 30, 2026 at 09:09am. Views: 348

Councilman Fred Shorett, serving San Bernardino's Fourth Ward since 2009 and is seeking another term in the November 2026 election, read more about him and his values.

Photo Courtesy of: AI-generated by ChatGPT.

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

September 29, 2026 at 10:13am. Views: 456

The San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra celebrates its founding in style with a Roaring Twenties-themed gala fundraiser on October 17 at 5p.m. The orchestra invites supporters to celebrate the community, music, and legacy it has built over nearly a century.

Photo Courtesy of: AI-generated by ChatGPT.

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

September 29, 2026 at 10:08am. Views: 346

a business luncheon focused on cybersecurity. The Loma Linda Chamber of Commerce has scheduled its cybersecurity awareness luncheon for October 7.

Photo Courtesy of: County of San Bernardino

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

September 28, 2026 at 12:31pm. Views: 550

After two years behind closed doors, the Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center is reopening with a new focus. See how the county hopes expanded rehabilitation and reentry services will help individuals successfully return to their families and communities.

Photo Courtesy of: AI-generated by ChatGPT.

By William Cortez, Community Writer

September 28, 2026 at 12:31pm. Views: 776

As powerful surf eats away at the shoreline, crews race to place sandbags ahead of a potentially severe El Niño storm season. AI-generated illustration; does not depict a specific location or event.

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

September 28, 2026 at 12:32pm. Views: 560

Jacob Matthew Willis proudly represents Grand Terrace High School as this week’s Athlete of the Week, showcasing his dedication both on the football field and in the classroom.

Photo Courtesy of: Baker Family

By Baker Family, Community Writer

September 23, 2026 at 08:17am. Views: 937

Wendell C Baker of Grand Terrace, California was born in Wichita Falls, Texas and raised in Texas and California. After graduating

--> -->