Seifu Mekonnen, a two-time Olympic boxer from Ethiopia

Mekonnen weighs himself after his outpatient treatments at a Beverly Hills dialysis clinic in December.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Patient-care technician Bradley Fojas helps ready Mekonnen for discharge from his outpatient treatments at a Beverly Hills dialysis center.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Mekonnen watches the monitor on his dialysis machine while receiving outpatient treatments in Beverly Hills.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Memorabilia and personal effects are scattered across a table in Mekonnen’s L.A. apartment.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

The two-time Olympian slowly trudges up the stairs to his second-floor apartment in Los Angeles.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Mekonnen prepares lunch in his small kitchen.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Mekonnen grabs a bite to eat in his spartan apartment.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

A pensive moment with Mekonnen in his Los Angeles apartment.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Fassil Abebe beams as he hugs Martha Negash after the meeting of Friends of Seifu Tibo’s (Mekonnen’s boxing nickname) in Little Ethiopia restaurant in Los Angeles on Dec. 16, 2010. The group of native Ethiopians is working on raising money for the ailing Mekonnen, who needs a kidney transplant.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Fassil Abebe listens to the discussion during a meeting of Friends of Seifu Tibo’s in Little Ethiopia restaurant.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Nadew Ashnafi, left, Shif Deneke and Fassil Abebe listen to a colleague during a meeting of Friends of Seifu Tibo’s in Little Ethiopia restaurant. The group is working on raising money for Los Angeles resident Seifu Mekonnen, a former Ethiopian boxer who needs a kidney transplant.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

A flier for the fundraising effort is discussed during a meeting of Friends of Seifu Tibo’s.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)