Love for Lorenzo and his Battle Against Cancer

Hello, my name is Lara Cabanilla, and on behalf of my family, I'm reaching out to share our story and my dad's journey through Metastatic Stage 4 Lung Cancer. 

My dad, Lorenzo Cabanilla (51), is the jack-of-all-trades to our friends and family. Despite his initial intimidating appearance, those who know him understand that he is a light-hearted, determined individual, always ready to lend a helping hand. My dad was always up to something, and it was always for someone. He never expected anything in return and simply, did it out of the kindness of his heart.

He's not just a father to me (Lara), my older sister (Lyrra), and my younger brother (Josh), but also a devoted husband to my mom (Melissa) for over 25 years. He is a loving brother to five other siblings and an ambitious and passionate nurse and nurse aide who has touched many lives in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Canada. He is a selfless, remarkable, and genuine person to countless people. If there is anything that my dad has preached throughout his life that has stuck with many people, it is to have strength through family, to remain humble, and to stay resilient in the face of hardship. Now more than ever, we hold my dad's words close to our hearts.

On May 26th, 2023, my dad was diagnosed with Metastatic Stage 4 Lung Cancer after experiencing pain in his chest and back. He did numerous invasive tests and found out that the cancer had already advanced to most of his major organs and his spine. My dad endured countless rounds of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation. Eventually, his pain and weakness progressed, causing him and my mom to stop work to focus on managing my dad's health. In November of 2023, scans showed that the treatment reduced the size of some tumours, and we were hopeful for my dad's recovery. A month later, on Christmas Eve, my dad went to the hospital due to unexpected complications. My dad was thankfully able to be home on Christmas Day. However, the hospital stay took a very negative toll on my dad and my family, as it was the first critical complication my dad experienced. We continued to care for my dad at home afterwards while we all tried to juggle school and work. 

During the first few months of 2024, my dad's strength began to decline, and with that, his hope began to dwindle. In late March of 2024, my dad had scans done again, and we received the devasting news that his cancer had significantly progressed nearly everywhere in his body; it was found in his liver, lymph nodes, adrenals, spine, and bones, including his skull and pelvis. His treatment was no longer effective and needed to be stopped. The prognosis was that my dad only had about six months left. From the very beginning of his diagnosis, we knew about the extent of my dad's illness and how he was receiving palliative care. However, the new prognosis negatively impacted our hope, and it reminded us of the harsh reality we were going through as a family.

With the doctor's approval, we had hoped to go to the Philippines to be with family. However, our plan soon became unattainable when my dad began to experience extreme pain and weakness, no appetite, more sleeping hours than awake, delirium, and constant myoclonic jerking in his sleep, all arising simultaneously within a couple of weeks since his new prognosis. Concerned with his condition, the doctor had a blood test ordered, and it revealed that his liver was not working efficiently due to a build-up of enzymes; his liver was beginning to poison itself, resulting in the rapid decline of my dad's health. On April 21st, 2024, my dad could not get up or go to the bathroom; he seemed to lose mobility and function from the chest down. As a family, we decided that it was best to finally arrange for my dad to enter palliative care at the hospital because we were unable to support him from home; there was only so much we could do and so many resources we could use at home. Seeing my dad being taken away in an ambulance, experiencing the cries from friends and family, and enduring the heartbreak we all felt knowing that my dad may not be able to come back home was agonizing. When my dad arrived at the hospital, he had scans and tests done, and they revealed that a tumour had developed in his spine. This was causing spinal cord compression in his T4 vertebrae, causing paralysis in his lower body. To relieve the compression of the tumour on his spine, my dad is currently undergoing radiation in hopes of mitigating the pain and regaining some mobility.

It has nearly been a year since this journey began and our lives changed forever. Due to the progression of his cancer, my dad had to stop doing the activities he loved to do. He is now bedridden and in palliative care. We miss seeing him happy and healthy. All we wish is for our dad to be pain-free, stable, smiling, and doing the things he loves with us.

My dad always cared for my family and others. Now, it's our turn to take care of him, and I humbly ask for your support to help us make this possible. Your contribution would help relieve my family's financial stress from being unable to work as we continue to care for my dad, ensuring that all necessities are taken care of while we focus on being by my dad's side and gaining strength as a family. Even a small gesture like sharing our story or leaving a kind message would help us through this challenging journey.

Helping one person might not change the world, but it can change the world for one person. Together, let's give my dad the love and support he's given us throughout his life.

Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

God bless and take care always,

The Cabanilla Family