Derek Ceja’s Cancer Fund

You never think it could happen to you or your family, until it does. I find myself sitting here, in utter disbelief, that my own twin brother could be sick. How could it happen? Why him? Why not me? What do we do? How do we cope? Endless questions run through my mind and my parent’s minds.

My brother Derek is a force to be reckoned with. Everyone who meets him wants to be his friend. He is strong, kind, smart, and funny. He is one of the only people in the world that can make me laugh until I cry! I’d like to add that Derek is my “older” twin brother. Older by only 7 minutes, but he’ll never let me live it down! Derek has a big heart and always has, but ever since being with his girlfriend Christina for the last 7 years, his heart grew even bigger. Thank God for you, Christina. If it weren’t for you forcing Derek to go see a doctor, who knows where our family would be right now.

A few months ago, my twin brother’s life changed forever. Our family’s lives changed. It started with an intense, persistent pain in his chest. At first he thought it was heartburn… we wish it had been heartburn. Being a typical guy, Derek thought nothing of it and didn’t think he needed to go to a doctor. In comes our savior, Christina, who gave him no choice but to go. He checked himself in to Temecula Valley hospital that same day where doctors took several scans of his chest. We were dumbfounded when the images showed a mass in the upper right side of his chest. What is it? How did it get there? How do we get rid of it? Questions started piling in our minds again.

Although we finally knew something was not normal, the doctors still were not sure what this mass was. Derek was referred to a specialist who would biopsy the mass and send it out for testing. It felt like years waiting for the biopsy to come back. For 3 weeks our family hoped and prayed the mass would only be benign. Our world would soon flip upside down. Unfortunately, the tests would come back as the daunting C word… CANCER, mediastinal seminoma.

Derek is now receiving intense chemotherapy and is kicking cancers ass. Along with fighting this battle comes a lot of financial responsibility. Derek will be off work for approximately 6 months. Loss of full income and medical bills will be piling up quickly and we are just hoping to give Derek some financial relief so he has one less thing to worry about.

I need to say it again - I never thought I’d be starting a page like this, let alone for my twin brother, but here we are. This is not just a donation page. Prayers and well wishes would mean the world as we navigate this new challenge. We will continue to update this page as we move through Derek's treatment and recovery. Please check back often and leave messages of encouragement for Derek.

-The Ceja Family