After five years of fighting, a man dying in a local hospital is one step closer to getting a desperately needed heart transplant.

He was finally approved for federal medicare. We first told you about 27-year - old Eric De La Cruz earlier this week. He's in the intensive care unit with congestive heart failure.

He has Nevada Medicaid, but it won't cover a transplant and he was denied medicare. His sister gained support on the internet and contacted Action News.

Thursday, a judge ruled in Eric's favor, approving him for Medicare. So now he will be able to get on the transplant list. A heart transplant could still cost the family upwards of $250,000.