Hi, my name is Ricardo, and I am fundraising for my mother Maria Luna. She passed away due to cancer on April 3, 2022. I am proud of the way my mother fought for her life with such a gracious spirit until the very end.

I want to take the opportunity to tell you about my mother. My mother has been the epitome of love and perseverance in my life and lives of others. A few days before her late-stage cancer diagnosis, two memories remain engrained in my mind.

The first memory of my mother is one that highlights her willingness to persevere against all obstacles. It was early morning, and like all other days, she had gotten up even before the sun had risen. I watched her as she walked up the stairs. However, this time it was different. My mother’s steps faltered with each step she gave, but she refused to let her face show her suffering. The love for her family has always driven my mother. She came to this country alone with her children for the sole purpose of providing them with opportunities they might not find elsewhere. My mother built her own business and worked countless hours for her children to have a better future. She never complained and instead expressed she felt blessed for the privilege to partake in the American dream. I owe everything that I am to my mother. My mother was a fighter that always persevered because she was driven by love.

The second memory is of my mother playing Switch with my son. She had just come home from a long day of work and my son had been waiting all day to play with his DramaMari, as my son called her. Despite her being exhausted from work, they decided to play Just Dance which involved them jumping and dancing around. I sat there and watched them play with such joy and thought how lucky we were to have my mom. This memory is now even more impactful because I now realize she was already dealing with the late-stage effects of her disease. The love that she had for my son and family is what propelled her to keep fighting until the very end. I think back to these memories because they highlight my mother’s strongest qualities. They highlight her perseverance and love for her family which are impossible to disentangle from each other.

I am reaching out to this community for your support as it is now time for my mother to finally be laid to rest.

Thank you.