Hi everyone!

My name is Javi. As some of you know, I was diagnosed with a rare skin cancer called Primary Cutaneous Follicle Center Lymphoma (PCFCL). It is an illness that makes my white blood cells attack the body instead of protecting it, which can compromise my immune system. Not having known what I had, a doctor removed the mass that was in the back of my head without checking what was wrong before doing it. Once the biopsy returned, I was referred to a cancer hospital and was advised that removal was the wrong thing to do since the mass had started growing again and that radiation therapy would be needed to control it and keep it at bay. Although this cancer is slow-growing and incurable, it has a high chance of being controlled. However, another small mass showed up on my back, which worried me. I was told that where it shows up and how much of it may manifest in the body is all up to chance and no way of predicting it.

I currently live in Puerto Rico, where I help take care of my mother and grandmother as their sole provider. This comes with certain costs, and with both my mom and grandma being sick with their own illnesses, it is increasingly hard to find the adequate help to manage everything. Although my private health insurance covered half of what my treatment costs, the other half is still in limbo. The cancer hospital advised me to apply for Puerto Rico's Medicaid program since a lot of their patients get approved because of the cancer diagnosis, but once I had my appointment, it was clear that the clerk who had my case did not want to help me. Even after jumping through hoops and having an awesome doctor at the cancer hospital handling my case and helping me with all the crazy requests the Medicaid clerk was asking for, they were still finding ways to deny me, like saying I needed to be in treatment already in order for them to process my application, which didn't make sense to me or my doctor.

Once I publicly posted about my diagnosis, a lot of people reached out and asked if they could help monetarily. I'm not someone who likes asking for help. If anything, I was adamant in finding another way, but it's looking increasingly difficult. I want to start treatment as soon as possible in order to avoid any more of this spreading or growing, which is why I decided to go this route.

I understand that not everyone can help this way, but your kind messages of encouragement and understanding always put a smile on my face and can make a bad day better. So thank you for your love and support always!