Meet David Velasquez "Big Sleeps"

In Los Angeles’ Pico Union District, lessons come early — and they come fast. David Velasquez, better known as “Big Sleeps,” grew up shaped by both the constant obstacles in his life and the community that kept him grounded. 

Since his youth, he was entranced by street art. From full-scale murals to tags, he found meaning in every piece that lined the neighborhood. To those in the community, Pico Union was a vibrant, blossoming neighborhood and a close-knit cultural hub. At the same time, gang violence was a predominant issue that affected everyday life. To Big Sleeps, he describes Pico Union as a fight for “survival.” Issues didn’t end there. At only 13 years old, he was arrested for tagging. By the time he was 15, he accumulated multiple arrests, causing him to spend much of his youth in juvenile prisons.

Big Sleeps was later shot in the femoral artery in his neighborhood during his late teens. It only worsened from there. At 19, he was shot in his pancreas and diagnosed with diabetes. Despite multiple encounters with death, he never walked away from Pico Union. He stayed because his community came first.

Through this hardship, Big Sleeps never stopped drawing, relying on his art as a catharsis. Using the 300 dollars he and his partner scraped together, he bought a tattoo machine, which sparked a new career focused on tattoo design. David described this occurrence as a “catalyst” that opened more doors and opportunities for advancing his career. An indication of his growing prominence came through the success of his first tattoo lettering guide titled “Letters To Live By,” which became a favorite within the tattoo industry for street style designs. Through all of his success, Big Sleeps continued actively engaging and giving back to his community, speaking to children in juvenile prisons, hosting summer programs, and mentoring kids from Pico Union. 

Big Sleeps was at the peak of his life, consistently showing up for his community when everything changed with a life-shattering diagnosis in 2022: chronic kidney disease (CKD). Instead of crumbling, Big Sleeps met the news head-on, reflecting on the hardships he endured growing up in Pico Union. “I’ve already been a warrior and survived.” Positivity and forward thinking have always been an important part of his life, and his encounter with kidney disease has not been any different. Unfortunately, his CKD worsened quickly, and his kidney function declined so severely that he needed dialysis and ultimately a kidney transplant.

Things were looking dark until the day Big Sleeps met Dr. Rastogi and was introduced to the CORE Kidney program at UCLA Health. He was immediately welcomed by members of CORE Kidney, and for the first time, he didn’t feel like he was living on a ticking clock for his life. When asked about the uniqueness of the program, Big Sleeps said, “I don’t know anybody or any other hospitals that have a program like that, but they are really doing amazing things.” 

His experiences with CORE Kidney go beyond his battle with kidney disease and his search for a donor. Through CORE Kidney, Big Sleeps has been able to give back even more to his community by setting up the Pico Union Health Fair events to further educate the neighborhood that raised him. 

After all he has been through, Big Sleeps does not feel like he is fighting against a life-threatening disease. Rather, his life has shown him that everyone can outgrow a label. As a result, he chooses to focus on learning to live with his kidney disease and use this moment to grow as a human, a neighbor, and an artist. 

Big Sleeps is currently seeking a lifesaving kidney donation. If you are interested in learning more about the living kidney donation process, Dr. Anjay Rastogi and his expert team will be on site to answer your questions.

Please contact CORE Kidney using the information below:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 310-794-5023
FaceBook: facebook.com/COREKidney
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corekidney/
Website: uclahealth.org/programs/core-kidney