<div>My name is Christine and I have organized this fundraiser to help cover my brother Jaime’s medical expenses. I am one of the eldest siblings out of 11 in my family. My second youngest brother Jaime, whom I practically raised, was recently diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. This has been devastating not only to me but to all of his family. Jaime is a husband and is also a father to 4 wonderful young ladies and a grandfather to a sweet little boy. Please donate and spread the word to help cover the treatments he needs and will need to treat and manage his illness.
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<div>Around October of last year (2023) my brother Jaime began to experience severe pain in his back that spread down to his legs. He chalked it up to an old herniated disk flaring up and tried to take it slow. A few weeks later, the pain in his back had worsened and left him unable to walk, and he began to experience debilitating headaches. The weeks he spent resting his back had not helped and instead, he realized his body was numb in certain areas, so in November 2023 we took him to the hospital.
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<div>At the hospital, they began to run some tests to try to explain why he was in so much pain. The testing ended up revealing that he wasn’t just dealing with a herniated disc but he had a rare form of blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma.
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<div>This type of cancer develops in the plasma cells, in the bone marrow of the body. In healthy bone marrow, plasma cells make antibodies that then fight off infections. With Multiple Myeloma, plasma cells are transformed into cancerous cells that grow out of control and crowd the normal cells that help fight infection. When these normal cells decrease due to crowding, the reduction of blood cells can then cause anemia, excessive bleeding, and a decreased ability to fight off infections, all of which Jaime is currently dealing with.
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<div>These malignant plasma cells then produce an abnormal antibody called the M protein. This M protein then wreaks havoc on the body when it builds up in the blood and urine and then causes damage to the kidneys and other organs. Jaime currently has stage 3b Chronic Kidney Disease due to the cancer.
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<div>These Myeloma cells can then go on to also activate other cells in the marrow that damage the bones. This can cause bone pain and weakened spots on bones called osteolytic lesions. Jaime currently has an innumerable amount of lesions in his bones throughout his body which is what was causing the excruciating back pain. This bone destruction increases the risk of fractures and can also lead to increased levels of calcium in the blood. Jaime has dealt with these elevated levels of calcium because of this cancer and that is what has caused the deterioration of his spine and the rib fractures he would eventually deal with in April of 2024.
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<div>In December of 2023, we spent trying to figure out what his insurance would cover and we were scrambling to find an oncologist and get him set up with treatment.
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<div>In January of 2024, Jaime began to receive radiation and chemotherapy treatments about an hour away from home. Although the cancer responded, by February the side effects from the treatments were so aggressive that he could not eat or drink and had become very weak incredibly fast, so we had to pause the radiation and chemotherapy while his doctors modified the drugs used for his chemotherapy. Due to the distance, we had to change his oncologist to one closer to home in the hopes that helps him with some of the side effects of the chemo and radiation and also would allow more family members to help out with his care and at his appointments.
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<div>In March of 2024, we found an oncologist closer to home and we were working on changing his doctors and waiting to have blood work done to see where he needed to pick up with the Chemo and radiation. He was slowly eating more and drinking more and to help give him strength we also sought out complementary holistic treatments such as vitamin infusions to help him get strong enough to continue his cancer treatments.
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<div>In April of 2024, he suddenly had an onset of drastic pain that left him suddenly unable to use his legs one morning. We rushed him back to the hospital and this time they found a mass that was pressing on his spinal cord and had caused the paralysis. They also realized the cancer had affected his spine and they stated he would need orthopaedic care. This meant that along with the removal of the mass, he would need a stabilizing back surgery, fusing a metal rod to 5 levels of his thoracic spine. The doctors also found that he had 4 broken ribs due to the cancer attacking his rib bones as well. He would need to wait to continue his chemo and radiation until after the surgery. This was a very aggressive surgery that left him wheelchair-bound and in a very fragile state.
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<div>As of May 2024, we have been working tirelessly as a family to care for Jaime and help him get through the therapies and treatments he needs. He receives physical therapy to help him recover from his back surgery and he will be beginning a different cocktail of chemo in the last week of May along with radiation. He will be getting a PET scan as well to find out how advanced his cancer is in the next few days. We also have continued to use complementary treatments such as intravenous vitamin C as there are studies that show it may help fight off the Multiple myeloma and intravenous curcumin that can help tremendously with his swelling and inflammation.
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<div>Unfortunately, these treatments are not covered by insurance but have helped enough that we ask you to contribute so we can cover these treatments along with any other medical treatments or expenses not covered by his insurance. There is a long road ahead in his recovery as he will have to live with the damage to his bones as it is irreversible. It has been a very difficult time for him and his family as we fight against this disease that just destroys the body and we know so little about.
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<div>We need to raise at least $30,000 to cover his medical bills, treatments, and the medications he needs. This cancer is treatable but it’s also aggressive and spreads quickly. It’s also incredibly expensive, as are the mobility aids and equipment he needs to become independent again at some point.
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<div>If you are willing and able to make any contribution, it will be greatly appreciated by Jaime and every single one of our family members. If you are unable to contribute financially, please help us by sharing our GoFundMe post, link, or QR code with your friends, family, and networks and urge them to please consider donating to Jaimes GoFundMe.
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<div>We are also always grateful for anyone who has information or can share resources that might help him. You can also help him by sending him a kind message or words of encouragement, this would greatly help his progress.
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<div>We have been working tirelessly to support him, and we know that God is in control of everything and he will recover from this terrible disease. The Lord is our hope and strength.
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<div>Currently, he is surrounded by his wife, daughters, brothers, and sisters in Florida. We hope that you will keep him in your prayers and we greatly appreciate your support.
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<div>Thank you in advance for your time and help. If you have any questions or want to talk to one of us, please feel free to reach out, we are here.
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<div>Thank you and God bless you
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<div>A nuestros más queridos familiares y amigos,
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<div>De todo corazón compartimos con ustedes la noticia de que nuestro amado hermano Jaime el pasado Noviembre del ’23 sintió tantos dolores que acudió al hospital donde comenzaron a realizarle algunas pruebas para explicarle qué le pasaba, y a los pocos días los médicos determinaron que estaba seriamente enfermo. Jaime tiene un tipo de cancer raro en la sangre y en los huesos (Myeloma Multiple) que lo hacia sentirse muy débil. Desde el pasado mes se le ha dificultado caminar y tuvieron que hacerle una cirugía en la columna para removerle una masa que se le hizo. Los doctores tiene mucho optimismo de que el caminará nuevamente, en este momento esta en rehabilitación para que se fortalezca y pueda continuar con su tratamiento para el cancer.
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<div>Es un largo camino por delante para su recuperación porque ha sido un tiempo muy difícil luchar contra esta enfermedad de la que se sabe muy poco.
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<div>Actualmente se encuentra rodeado de su esposa, hijas, hermanos y hermanas en Florida, y poco a poco va fortaleciéndose para continuar mejorando, y agradecemos sus oraciones.
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<div>Sabemos que Dios tiene el control de todo y que en Su Gracia y Voluntad el seguirá recuperándose de esta terrible enfermedad, el Señor es nuestra fuerza y esperanza.
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<div>Buscamos apoyo emocional y financiero de nuestros familiares y amigos para ayudarlo con su calidad de vida y estamos necesitando reunir por lo menos $30,000 para cubrir los medicamentos y tratamientos que necesita. Si usted desea hacer alguna contribución, será grandemente agradecida.
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<div>Deseamos que lo mantengan en sus oraciones.
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<div>Gracias de antemano por su tiempo y apoyo. Si tiene alguna pregunta o desea hablar con uno de nosotros, no dude en comunicarse, estamos aquí.
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<div>Muchas gracias y Dios los bendiga.
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Crisara McCraw

Anonymous

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Brittany Mann

Laurie Miller

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Jordan Breslow

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Tiffany Cavazos

Esther Avila

Isabel Sanchez

Maria Perez

Anthony Aponte

Support Jaime’s Medical Expenses(Rare Blood & Bone Cancer)

Support Jaime’s Medical Expenses(Rare Blood & Bone Cancer)

Still $27,049 to go. Help us build momentum.