Rudy‘s Road to Recovery

It was back in July 2022 when my father, Rudy, started experiencing difficulty swallowing food. Daddy, who has always been a hearty eater, was all of a sudden throwing up after each meal, causing his weight to drop drastically in a matter of weeks.

It was later found out that a tumor had grown in his esophagus, blocking anything from passing through his stomach. Daddy was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer, news that my family and I were not prepared to hear. On top of this, he was no longer able to eat by mouth.

After 28 sessions of chemotherapy and radiation, we were happy to learn that the tumor got smaller. Just this past January, he was cleared to go through surgery to completely remove the mass around the esophagus. It was a success! We were beyond relieved that he can finally be well and eat again.

Daddy’s recovery, however, has been very rough. He has been in and out of the hospital due to complications from his recent operation. While his vitals and scan results showed normal, he is still unable to heal completely due to an infection caused by pneumonia. This has taken a toll on his body, despite his strong will to get better.

The pain of potentially losing a parent is very real, especially if its to a disease that have claimed other loved ones in your life. My family in Philippines try to stay strong, but the reality of it is, our prayers and presence isn’t enough. At this point, my parents have used most of their retirement funds. This last hospital visit alone has cost $30,000.

I decided to create this fundraiser in hopes of appealing to others, family, friends and strangers out there who can empathize with our pain, to help us with just a little reprieve of our situation, that we know is far from over. However much it would mean so much to us I cant even adequately express it. Even as I write these words and lumps form in my throat, I am already thanking you whoever you are and in rawness tell you, that my heart beats stronger for every person out there who can help us. Your generosity would mean the world to us and we sincerely thank you for considering this fundraiser.

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.

Liz Samonte