Today we’d like to introduce you to Mario Nunez.
Hi Mario , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
It all started as I was the person that will always have a music Playlist ready on my iPod (at the time) to play at my friend’s reunions. One day one of those friends suggested me to be a DJ because she said I’ve always played “good music”. I always enjoyed music since I was a kid and I thought that was a great idea so I agreed with her and she replied I’d like to be your first paying client and she hired me ($100) to play at her daughter’s birthday in two weeks.
I prepared myself and played for the first time with my home stereo, a laser from Spencer’s and a laptop using Virtual DJ software. The day of the birthday party was a successful experience and I knew this would be something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
It was not easy at first, I had to educate myself and learn how to do anything related to deejaying and every piece of equipment was very expensive. I was already a parent of two, a boy and a girl, working endless hours at a gas station and barely able to pay bills. So I started to sell football, basketball and soccer jerseys, ladies handbags and even shoes to make extra income to buy equipment. Meanwhile deejaying at parties with what I had.
This affected my relationship with my kid’s mother because I was always working at the gas station, selling, and djing on the weekends. I could not longer go to many family reunions and was barely at home. All the money I made would go to reinvesting in merchandise and buying equipment, It almost broke our relationship.
I’ve always had a dream from the beginning that I wanted to be the best event dj that I can be. Time went by, I grew in knowledge in every aspect that you can think of, but also I grew tremendously in equipment. I finally started to reach goals, playing at some of the most exclusive venues in the area (Scottsdale, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Chandler, Tempe, etc) Also meeting friendors, other djs and it was an amazing feeling..
Unfortunately 2020 changed my life forever. Covid happened and I got sick with covid around June. I was hospitalized but they didn’t know how to treat covid at the time but I stayed at the hospital to get treat6for pneumonia. I also found out I was diabetic and my sugar was uncontrolled.. After two weeks in the hospital I was released and started to go to the Dr to help me control sugar with medicine, exercise and diet.
I managed to control sugar in 3 months and the Dr congratulated me but also told me I had a new problem, it was high blood pressure. So I was taking medication for diabetes and high blood pressure, but the medicine was not controlling my pressure, the Dr switched medicine many times. But I was feeling amazing, lost a lot weight and I was lifting weights. I had a lot of energy.
One day the Dr told me he could not longer help me with blood pressure and that I may have some damage with my kidneys so he referred me to a nephrologist. I was not able to see him in person (covid) but I had a video call and he prescribed new medication.
In December 2020 I went for a regular checkup to the Dr and he looked at me weird and asked me how I was feeling. I responded great, I was back working and I had very important upcoming events, besides djing that night at Talking Stick Casino. He said no you have to go to the hospital now you have a blood pressure of 240 over 160 and you’re about to have a stroke.
I didn’t feel sick or anything but I followed Dr’s instructions and went to the hospital. They took me in and after two weeks of all sorts of tests to find out the reason why I had a kidney failure.
To make story short I was back at the emergency hospital 2 more times, my health got worse, my mental health was really bad with everything that was happening to me all the changes and I wanted to take my life away.
I now do dialysis 3 times a week for 4 hours, I can barely walk, a lot of changes in my life happened, I could not work for 3 years at all, but I found God.
God has given me the strength to continue fighting, to deal with chronic pain, heal from anxiety and depression and have peace in my mind.
I’m able to work very little as dj (once sometimes twice a month) I also serve at the church at male retreat and share my testimony and show how God is helping me get through this.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all, so many struggles dealing with this illness
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a Bilingual DJ and MC and offer other services for events such as special effects, personalized 4ft tall Marquee Letters and Show with Robots and Character dancers
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
To appreciate everything you have, and thank God for it. Everything can change in a split of a second
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @azproentertainment
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DNCThk1xQ/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@aztecamixdj?_r=1&_t=ZP-98nZhs1D9ig
