Donate4Ketty
Donation protected
HELP ME SAVE MY MOM'S LIFE
My name is Jorge, I am 24 years old, and I have started this GoFundMe page because I am fighting to save the life of my beloved mother, Ketty, as she struggles with cancer.
My Mom’s Story
My whole life, my mom has worked hard to give me the opportunity to have a better life than she did. When I was little, my family lived in a tiny room in a crowded house with a noisy atmosphere that was not at all conducive to learning. Even though she was working late and she herself did not speak English, she would always make time each night to sit down next to me with a Spanish-English dictionary on hand and help me with my homework.
Neither of my parents went to college and neither of them speaks English very well, so it has always been difficult for them to find work. Some years, my family couldn’t even afford to purchase school supplies, but my mom always made sure I had a roof over my head and food on the table, so that I could study and learn without being hungry and without feeling cold. Whether it was working longer, cutting costs, or borrowing money, my mom always did everything she could so that my family would not be homeless or hungry. When the recession hit in early 2008, my dad lost his job and remained unemployed for nearly four years. During this time, my mom supported us single-handedly through her small, in-home, licensed daycare.
Although our family was poor, my mom always taught me to strive to help those who had even less than we did. She saved up money to help buy food and clothes for my younger cousins whose families were also struggling financially. She taught me to donate canned goods to local soup kitchens and donate to charity the clothes that no longer fit. She taught me to volunteer at my school and at our local children’s hospital. She took on becoming a foster parent to children who were mistreated by their birth parents.
My mom has a warm, caring, and bright personality. She is adventurous, courageous, and kind. She is smart and follows along effortlessly whenever I share with her something new I’m learning in school. I see myself in her, and I aspire to be like her.
Thanks to her hard work and sacrifice, I was able to get a full ride scholarship to attend Stanford University. And now I want to give back to her and do everything I can to give her a chance to continue to live, so that she can continue to share her light and warmth with the world.
Cancer Diagnosis
Over the weekend, my mom was diagnosed with a carcinoma nodule in her left lung.
In recent months, she had lost a lot of weight and had started to experience difficulty breathing on a regular basis. Her state of health had deteriorated so much that my dad and I took her to the doctor to try to get a better understanding of what was happening. After a series of exams extending over several months, this weekend we finally received the diagnosis that she has cancer.
My heart broke when I learned about the diagnosis. My mom’s soft voice quivered as she told me, “Lo siento. Disculpame por hacerte pasar por todo esto.” (“I’m sorry. Forgive me for making you go through all of this.”) Even in this moment of great pain and uncertainty, her first thought wasn’t for herself - but for me, her only child.
How We Can Save Her
While the carcinoma nodule in my mom’s left lung has been steadily growing over the past several months, we thankfully found it early enough to treat. The cancer is currently still in the limited stage, which means that it has only impacted a very specific region of cells and has not spread to any other parts of her body. Since my mom has never smoked before, her lungs are otherwise in relatively good shape, and it looks like there's a good chance she can be successfully treated. Doctors informed us that her prognosis can be good and she can recover - IF she undergoes surgery as soon as possible to remove the carcinoma nodule before the cancer spreads to other parts of her body.
We have now started discussions to have my mom undergo surgery. We are trying to have my mom undergo surgery in the coming weeks, but unfortunately our out-of-pocket medical costs for the surgery and post-surgery hospitalization amount to a total of at least $140,000 and this is a tremendous financial obstacle for my family.
We need to raise at least $140,000 to save my mom’s life with surgery, and any additional donations will go toward helping to pay for radiation and chemotherapy that may be needed after the surgery.
We cannot do this without your help, which is why I am asking you to share this GoFundMe page, spread the word, and donate whatever you can to help me save the life of the kindest and most caring person I know.
Given her condition, my mom has closed her daycare and she is no longer working, as she prepares for her surgery. My dad, who usually works as an Uber driver, is no longer working either. He is staying at home to take care of my mom, and the tremors that he’s experiencing from the severe anxiety that he’s under currently make it difficult for him to drive for long periods of time. After the surgery, my mom will need to rest and recover for a period of 3 months before the doctors can assess whether she will be healthy enough to start working again. With my savings and earnings from working, I am covering my parents’ rent payments and living expenses leading up to the surgery and after the surgery. However, we need help to raise enough money to cover the out-of-pocket medical costs associated with the surgery and the post-surgery hospitalization and treatment.
We don't have any other family, and I'm an only child, so right now I'm trying to figure out how to pay for my own rent and living expenses, pay for my parents' rent and living expenses, and pay for my mom's rising medical bills.
I asked the benefits team at work about the possibility of adding my mom to my employer-provided health insurance plan, but unfortunately parents can't be added to benefits - only a spouse, a domestic partner, or children can be added to the policy.
I was the first in my family to go to college, and my family doesn't have any savings or income source beyond my own earnings.
This is the most difficult letter I’ve had to write in my entire life. As I write this, I can feel my throat closing up as I open myself up to the world, and I can feel my stomach turning as I send this desperate plea for help.
I know my mom will not mean the same to you as she does to me, but I am facing the pain of losing the person I care for most in the entire world, so anything you can do to help, I will be eternally grateful for.
THANK YOU
Please note:
The estimated surgery and post-surgery costs are $140,000, but the final medical expenses could be higher, and donations beyond our $140,000 goal are still definitely very much appreciated, as they can help pay for any radiation and chemotherapy treatment that may be needed.
After we finish paying off my mom's medical bills, if there is any extra money raised that is not needed to cover any further treatment costs, this money will be donated to the Saban Community Clinic, a highly-rated nonprofit organization that provides health and social services to the uninsured and working poor.
My name is Jorge, I am 24 years old, and I have started this GoFundMe page because I am fighting to save the life of my beloved mother, Ketty, as she struggles with cancer.
My Mom’s Story
My whole life, my mom has worked hard to give me the opportunity to have a better life than she did. When I was little, my family lived in a tiny room in a crowded house with a noisy atmosphere that was not at all conducive to learning. Even though she was working late and she herself did not speak English, she would always make time each night to sit down next to me with a Spanish-English dictionary on hand and help me with my homework.
Neither of my parents went to college and neither of them speaks English very well, so it has always been difficult for them to find work. Some years, my family couldn’t even afford to purchase school supplies, but my mom always made sure I had a roof over my head and food on the table, so that I could study and learn without being hungry and without feeling cold. Whether it was working longer, cutting costs, or borrowing money, my mom always did everything she could so that my family would not be homeless or hungry. When the recession hit in early 2008, my dad lost his job and remained unemployed for nearly four years. During this time, my mom supported us single-handedly through her small, in-home, licensed daycare.
Although our family was poor, my mom always taught me to strive to help those who had even less than we did. She saved up money to help buy food and clothes for my younger cousins whose families were also struggling financially. She taught me to donate canned goods to local soup kitchens and donate to charity the clothes that no longer fit. She taught me to volunteer at my school and at our local children’s hospital. She took on becoming a foster parent to children who were mistreated by their birth parents.
My mom has a warm, caring, and bright personality. She is adventurous, courageous, and kind. She is smart and follows along effortlessly whenever I share with her something new I’m learning in school. I see myself in her, and I aspire to be like her.
Thanks to her hard work and sacrifice, I was able to get a full ride scholarship to attend Stanford University. And now I want to give back to her and do everything I can to give her a chance to continue to live, so that she can continue to share her light and warmth with the world.
Cancer Diagnosis
Over the weekend, my mom was diagnosed with a carcinoma nodule in her left lung.
In recent months, she had lost a lot of weight and had started to experience difficulty breathing on a regular basis. Her state of health had deteriorated so much that my dad and I took her to the doctor to try to get a better understanding of what was happening. After a series of exams extending over several months, this weekend we finally received the diagnosis that she has cancer.
My heart broke when I learned about the diagnosis. My mom’s soft voice quivered as she told me, “Lo siento. Disculpame por hacerte pasar por todo esto.” (“I’m sorry. Forgive me for making you go through all of this.”) Even in this moment of great pain and uncertainty, her first thought wasn’t for herself - but for me, her only child.
How We Can Save Her
While the carcinoma nodule in my mom’s left lung has been steadily growing over the past several months, we thankfully found it early enough to treat. The cancer is currently still in the limited stage, which means that it has only impacted a very specific region of cells and has not spread to any other parts of her body. Since my mom has never smoked before, her lungs are otherwise in relatively good shape, and it looks like there's a good chance she can be successfully treated. Doctors informed us that her prognosis can be good and she can recover - IF she undergoes surgery as soon as possible to remove the carcinoma nodule before the cancer spreads to other parts of her body.
We have now started discussions to have my mom undergo surgery. We are trying to have my mom undergo surgery in the coming weeks, but unfortunately our out-of-pocket medical costs for the surgery and post-surgery hospitalization amount to a total of at least $140,000 and this is a tremendous financial obstacle for my family.
We need to raise at least $140,000 to save my mom’s life with surgery, and any additional donations will go toward helping to pay for radiation and chemotherapy that may be needed after the surgery.
We cannot do this without your help, which is why I am asking you to share this GoFundMe page, spread the word, and donate whatever you can to help me save the life of the kindest and most caring person I know.
Given her condition, my mom has closed her daycare and she is no longer working, as she prepares for her surgery. My dad, who usually works as an Uber driver, is no longer working either. He is staying at home to take care of my mom, and the tremors that he’s experiencing from the severe anxiety that he’s under currently make it difficult for him to drive for long periods of time. After the surgery, my mom will need to rest and recover for a period of 3 months before the doctors can assess whether she will be healthy enough to start working again. With my savings and earnings from working, I am covering my parents’ rent payments and living expenses leading up to the surgery and after the surgery. However, we need help to raise enough money to cover the out-of-pocket medical costs associated with the surgery and the post-surgery hospitalization and treatment.
We don't have any other family, and I'm an only child, so right now I'm trying to figure out how to pay for my own rent and living expenses, pay for my parents' rent and living expenses, and pay for my mom's rising medical bills.
I asked the benefits team at work about the possibility of adding my mom to my employer-provided health insurance plan, but unfortunately parents can't be added to benefits - only a spouse, a domestic partner, or children can be added to the policy.
I was the first in my family to go to college, and my family doesn't have any savings or income source beyond my own earnings.
This is the most difficult letter I’ve had to write in my entire life. As I write this, I can feel my throat closing up as I open myself up to the world, and I can feel my stomach turning as I send this desperate plea for help.
I know my mom will not mean the same to you as she does to me, but I am facing the pain of losing the person I care for most in the entire world, so anything you can do to help, I will be eternally grateful for.
THANK YOU
Please note:
The estimated surgery and post-surgery costs are $140,000, but the final medical expenses could be higher, and donations beyond our $140,000 goal are still definitely very much appreciated, as they can help pay for any radiation and chemotherapy treatment that may be needed.
After we finish paying off my mom's medical bills, if there is any extra money raised that is not needed to cover any further treatment costs, this money will be donated to the Saban Community Clinic, a highly-rated nonprofit organization that provides health and social services to the uninsured and working poor.
Organizer
Jorge Cueto
Organizer
Palo Alto, CA
