Karen Alvarez-Hunt is the loving wife of my Dad, David Hunt, and the devoted mother of my brother, Kaiden Hunt, and me, Kolton Hunt. She is a kind and selfless teacher at Bishop McNamara and has poured her heart into every student she has interacted with. Karen serves at her local parish, Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and leads within multiple parish councils that make change in the parish and greater community. She really is the epitome of kindness and gives her whole self when it comes to caring for others.

Throughout the month of October, my mom was experiencing abdominal pain and had some tests run to determine the root of the problem. However, during one of these tests, doctors found a tumor and took a biopsy to send to the lab for further investigation. On Friday, October 24th, our family received the terrible news that my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Immediately after receiving the news, she was rushed to the hospital for blood clots in her lungs and was held in the hospital for 2 weeks. During this hospitalization, she had multiple tests completed, and the doctors determined that the cancer had metastasized, meaning it had spread to multiple organs in her body. The official diagnosis of my mom’s cancer is stage 4 endometrial cancer that has spread to her kidney, liver, and colon. Since receiving the official diagnosis, her team of doctors has given her a plan for chemotherapy and radiation to fight the cancer. However, just before her scheduled first round of chemotherapy was to occur, her kidneys were beginning to fail, and she made another trip to the hospital. Luckily, her kidney levels never reached critical levels, but the setback delayed the start of her treatment. With the severity of her condition, she could not afford to wait any longer for chemotherapy. On Saturday, November 22nd, my mom started her first round of chemotherapy and followed with dialysis on Sunday, November 23rd, to ensure her kidneys were strong enough to keep up. The results of her first round of chemo seemed to be a success; she had no alarming side effects, and her kidneys were functioning to an acceptable level on their own. Our family was fortunate enough that she was discharged on Wednesday, November 26th, and we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving together as a family at home. Then, on Sunday, November 30th, she contracted a fever and made another trip to the hospital. She is fighting an infection on top of the cancer and has been in the hospital since then. Most recently on Tuesday, December 9th, my mom was having some trouble breathing during blood transfusions. This then snowballed into her heart stopping and she lost her pulse for 4 minutes. Her team of medical staff, performed cpr and were able to get her back but she was intubated to assist her breathing in the icu. We are very blessed to have a great team of doctors by her side and a plan to fight the cancer. However, she has a long road ahead of her, and we are taking things day by day.

This whole situation has turned Karen and our family’s world upside down, and is something we are struggling to fight alone. It’s breaking my heart to see the person who has been holding me together all my life, is going through so much pain. We are holding onto faith and hope during these troubling times and appreciate all the kind words, prayers, and gifts we have received from family and friends. Since October 24th, both my parents have been unemployed; my mom has been sick, fighting the cancer and recovering from treatment, and my dad, being self-employed, is currently fully supporting my mom’s needs and is unable to work. As a family, we are asking for spiritual and financial support as we navigate these uncertain times. Please say a prayer for my Mom that she finds the strength to continue fighting and peace for her soul to combat her worries. And if you are able to support financially, we appreciate any amount of help. The donations will go towards medical bills and alleviating financial stress. And if you’re unable to give, sharing this page means the world to us. Thank you for hearing Karen’s story and supporting my mom during the fight of her life.