Dennys René Rivas Williams was diagnosed with silicosis, a chronic lung illness that affects those who work with cutting and polishing countertops for bathrooms and kitchens.
Mental health can be fragile during difficult moments in life, but when someone is already living with an incurable chronic illness, the combination can be particularly devastating.
“The doctor called me and said, ‘Dennys, I have to tell you something, you have two years to live,’” recalled Dennys René Rivas Williams who suffered from a severe lung disease.
With every breath he takes, he defies a fate that once seemed inescapable.
“If I hadn’t received the transplant, I would have died,” he added.
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Dennys, an immigrant from Guatemala, now breathes with renewed hope, thanks to a double lung transplant he received a year ago.
“I got nervous. I said goodbye to my children, my siblings, my father and my partner,” said Dennys, who was 36 years old when he had the surgery.
He remembers waking up from surgery and telling his father that he loved him.
For over seven years, Dennys worked cutting and polishing countertops for bathrooms and kitchens.
“We worked dry, with the dry material. There were huge clouds of dust,” Dennys explained.
But in 2022, he began experiencing symptoms and had to stop working.
“I started breathing through my mouth, and my father asked me, ‘What’s wrong?’” he recalled.
Dennys was diagnosed with silicosis, a disease with no cure that can become chronic.
“It’s fatal because its progression cannot be stopped,” says Dr. Jane Fazio, a pulmonologist at UCLA.
“It’s a disease caused by inhaling silica dust, crystalline silica,” Fazio explained. “The dust enters the lungs, causes inflammation, and over time leads to scarring.”
Silica is a mineral compound found in materials used in construction and fabrication.
“Silicosis is an occupational lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust while cutting, sanding, drilling, or polishing artificial stone,” explained José Escobar from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
He added that “artificial stone slabs often contain more than 90% silica.”
Most of those affected, according to Dr. Fazio, “are immigrants from Latin America; men in their 30s and 40s, many with young children.”
Before his transplant, Dennys depended on an oxygen tank to breathe. But he was also fighting another battle.
“I was hitting rock bottom with depression,” Dennys admited.
“Anyone diagnosed with a disease that impacts their ability to function as they once did begins to experience feelings of distress,” says Antonio Bañuelos, a program manager at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
According to a study, more than 99% of patients with silicosis showed symptoms of anxiety, and 86% experienced symptoms of depression.
“After the transplant, you think, ‘I made it.’ But no, you haven’t really made it,” Dennys said.
According to experts, the average life expectancy for lung transplant recipients is six years.
“A lung transplant is necessary for patients with advanced silicosis who qualify and who would otherwise not survive,” said Escobar.
Because of this, Dennys sought emotional therapy.
“It has impacted me tremendously, in the sense that you experience mood swings that you can’t even handle,” he said.
Bañuelos explained, “In this case, it’s like experiencing a loss, not necessarily the death of a loved one, but the loss of health, independence, the ability to contribute to the family. All of that is significant.”
“I reached a point where I told my partner, ‘You know what? If you want to leave, go ahead. This is a long process, and I don’t know if you’ll be able to endure it with me,’” Dennys recalled.
But his family never abandoned him.
“I’m very grateful to her for standing by me,” he said.
Love at home has been his shield against the uncertainty of the future.
“I have my family’s support. I have my children, and I want to see them grow. I’ve always held onto my faith in God, and thanks to Him, I’m here today sharing my story,” he said.
In California, 15 people have died from silicosis, and more than 250 have been diagnosed since 2019, according to official data.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call 988.
This report was produced in collaboration with the USC Center for Health Journalism.
