Reverend Jose Landaverde and four others are engaged in a hunger strike going on 12 days to raise awareness for the plight of undocumented immigrants who will die without organ transplants.

“The only avenue we had was to do this hunger strike,” a tired-sounding Landaverde said. “We’re calling on the hospitals on this moral issue. They have the moral responsibility to help these families.”

The hunger strikers want Loyola University Medical Center and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Medical Center to respond to them and engage them in dialogue concerning the issue of transplants for uninsured and undocumented immigrants.

The request may sound like a longshot but Landaverde has already sat down with Rush University Medical Center, politicians and medical professionals.

“People’s lives are at stake,” says Cook County commissioner Jesus Garcia, who was at the sit down. “Rush Presbyterian is leading the way in terms of agreeing to provide some transplants but other hospitals have not been as responsive. If more hospitals were to participate it would be more viable and make the program more sustainable. “

Dr. David A. Ansell, the Chief Medical Officer, for Rush University Medical Center, says one of the main issues stems from the difference between a one and done medical procedure and an organ transplant.

Read the full story at NBC Latino