Fighting Lymphoma
Donation protected
For anyone who might just be coming to the site, I want you to know that Cari died on Monday, April 21. If you would like to read the story of the last year of her life, it follows below:
“You have an aggressive case of lymphoma.”
It was hard news for our friend Caritina to hear — and it came after six months of arduous chemotherapy.
“A statistical 30% of Lymphoma patients do not respond adequately to traditional chemotherapy,” the doctor informed her. “And, Caritina, you are in that group. Chemotherapy is not working for you.”
A bone marrow transplant is now Caritina’s best hope. But getting there has introduced its own new challenges. Seeking to strengthen her immune system for the transplant, the doctors gave her drugs to increase Caritina’s white blood cell count. But no sooner had the protocol started than it had to be stopped because of “rare but potentially very serious side effects.” Caritina got a staph infection that lodged in her left foot and required emergency surgery. She is now unable to walk.
Because serious systemic infection is still a big risk, massive antibiotic therapy has, for the time being, replaced prepping Caritina for the bigger battle. If, months from now, Caritina is deemed a candidate for the transplant procedure at City of Hope, it will be an enormous task requiring all the physical, mental, and emotional strength she can muster.
The bottom line here is that our friend faces a very uncertain future. Her days are painful and emotionally vulnerable, but she loves her doctors and she feels confident that between Kaiser and City of Hope she is in compassionate good hands.
But there’s still something her docs can’t help with: the mounting financial stress that comes with the grim reality Caritina is facing. Financial stress is a killer on a good day, let alone when you’re fighting for your life.
Caritina can’t work and her medical and living expenses are exhausting her resources. Thankfully, the Affordable Care Act has given her access to treatment but she still has major uncovered costs and needs financial help.
Caritina remains exactly who we all know her to be: loving and loyal to the core, always the first to offer help but the last to seek a hand, and eternally optimistic. Right now, nothing would help take the weight of the world off her plate more than an income source that she doesn’t have, can’t return to Nate ‘n Al’s to earn, and would never ask for from any of us.
When I was on life support almost two decades ago, Caritina helped save my life. Now Caritina is fighting for her own life and needs our help. I’m hoping we can raise $50K to help our friend. Please help.
“You have an aggressive case of lymphoma.”
It was hard news for our friend Caritina to hear — and it came after six months of arduous chemotherapy.
“A statistical 30% of Lymphoma patients do not respond adequately to traditional chemotherapy,” the doctor informed her. “And, Caritina, you are in that group. Chemotherapy is not working for you.”
A bone marrow transplant is now Caritina’s best hope. But getting there has introduced its own new challenges. Seeking to strengthen her immune system for the transplant, the doctors gave her drugs to increase Caritina’s white blood cell count. But no sooner had the protocol started than it had to be stopped because of “rare but potentially very serious side effects.” Caritina got a staph infection that lodged in her left foot and required emergency surgery. She is now unable to walk.
Because serious systemic infection is still a big risk, massive antibiotic therapy has, for the time being, replaced prepping Caritina for the bigger battle. If, months from now, Caritina is deemed a candidate for the transplant procedure at City of Hope, it will be an enormous task requiring all the physical, mental, and emotional strength she can muster.
The bottom line here is that our friend faces a very uncertain future. Her days are painful and emotionally vulnerable, but she loves her doctors and she feels confident that between Kaiser and City of Hope she is in compassionate good hands.
But there’s still something her docs can’t help with: the mounting financial stress that comes with the grim reality Caritina is facing. Financial stress is a killer on a good day, let alone when you’re fighting for your life.
Caritina can’t work and her medical and living expenses are exhausting her resources. Thankfully, the Affordable Care Act has given her access to treatment but she still has major uncovered costs and needs financial help.
Caritina remains exactly who we all know her to be: loving and loyal to the core, always the first to offer help but the last to seek a hand, and eternally optimistic. Right now, nothing would help take the weight of the world off her plate more than an income source that she doesn’t have, can’t return to Nate ‘n Al’s to earn, and would never ask for from any of us.
When I was on life support almost two decades ago, Caritina helped save my life. Now Caritina is fighting for her own life and needs our help. I’m hoping we can raise $50K to help our friend. Please help.
Organizer and beneficiary
Denis Chicola
Organizer
Whittier, CA
Caritina Mendoza
Beneficiary
