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<div>About six and a half months ago, in November 2024, my sister Perla noticed something that didn’t sit right with her, a lump in my nephew Dereck’s leg. Even though her former pediatrician assured her it was nothing to worry about, her mother’s instinct told her otherwise. Trusting that inner voice, she sought out a new doctor for a second opinion. That one decision would change everything.
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<div>The new pediatrician acted swiftly. The lump was growing, and Dereck had begun to feel pain. In just a few days, my sister found herself in a whirlwind of appointments, ultrasounds, X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans at Seattle Children’s Hospital, all in the hope of finding answers.
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<div>Then came November 20th, Dereck’s 4th birthday. Instead of celebrating with balloons and cake, they spent the day at the hospital. It was long, exhausting, and heavy with fear. After the scans, the orthopedic doctor told my sister he couldn't read the results definitively and that Dereck would need a biopsy. At that moment, Perla saw it in his face. Something was wrong.
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<div>The very next day, on November 21st, the surgeon called. Her voice was kind but filled with sorrow. She introduced herself and gently explained that while a biopsy was still needed, all signs were pointing to one devastating conclusion: Dereck likely had cancer.
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<div>Our world stopped.
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<div>On December 5th, 2024, it became real. Dereck was officially diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that forms tumors in the limbs.
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<div>Since then, Dereck has faced more than most adults ever will. He’s had surgery to place a port and began chemotherapy immediately. We learned that his treatment plan would span 42 weeks and include surgery to remove the tumor, proton therapy to target cancer in his lymph nodes, and maintenance chemotherapy. His fight is expected to continue into 2026.
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<div>But through it all, Dereck has shown incredible courage. He’s had his tumor removed and is now undergoing proton therapy at Fred Hutch. He wakes up every day ready to fight with resilience and a smile that lights up the darkest days.
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<div>And Perla, my sister, his mother, is nothing short of a hero. A single mom who has faced this journey with strength, love, and unwavering hope. She’s carried this weight with grace, never letting Dereck see the fear in her heart.
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<div>I’ve created this GoFundMe because no one should have to carry this kind of burden alone. The medical costs are staggering millions in treatment, and thousands more in medications not covered by insurance. My hope is to ease just a bit of that weight from her shoulders, to show her that Dereck is not fighting alone. He has an army behind him.
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<div>Every donation, every prayer, every share of this story makes a difference. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with Dereck and Perla.
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<div>Hace unos seis meses y medio, en noviembre de 2024, mi hermana Perla notó algo que no le sentaba bien: un bulto en la pierna de mi sobrino Dereck. A pesar de que su antiguo pediatra le aseguró que no había nada de qué preocuparse, el instinto de su madre le dijo lo contrario. Confiando en esa voz interior, buscó un nuevo médico para una segunda opinión. Esa decisión lo cambiaría todo.
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<div>El nuevo pediatra actuó rápidamente. El bulto estaba creciendo, y Dereck había comenzado a sentir dolor. En solo unos días, mi hermana se encontró en un torbellino de citas (ecografías, radiografías, resonancias magnéticas y tomografías computarizadas) en el Seattle Children's Hospital, todo con la esperanza de encontrar respuestas.
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<div>Luego llegó el 20 de noviembre, el cuarto cumpleaños de Dereck. En lugar de celebrar con globos y pastel, pasaron el día en el hospital. Fue largo, agotador y cargado de miedo. Después de las exploraciones, el médico ortopédico le dijo a mi hermana que no podía leer los resultados definitivamente y que Dereck necesitaría una biopsia. En ese momento, Perla lo vio en su cara: algo andaba mal.
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<div>Al día siguiente, el 21 de noviembre, el cirujano llamó. Su voz era amable, pero llena de dolor. Se presentó y explicó amablemente que, si bien todavía se necesitaba una biopsia, todos los signos apuntaban a una conclusión devastadora: Dereck probablemente tenía cáncer.
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<div>Nuestro mundo se detuvo.
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<div>El 5 de diciembre de 2024, se hizo realidad: Dereck fue diagnosticado oficialmente con rabdomiosarcoma alveolar, un cáncer raro y agresivo que forma tumores en las extremidades.
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<div>Desde entonces, Dereck se ha enfrentado a más de lo que la mayoría de los adultos jamás se enfrentarán. Se sometió a una cirugía para colocar un puerto y comenzó la quimioterapia de inmediato. Nos enteramos de que su plan de tratamiento abarcaría 42 semanas e incluiría cirugía para extirpar el tumor, terapia de protones para atacar el cáncer en sus ganglios linfáticos y quimioterapia de mantenimiento. Se espera que su lucha continúe en 2026.
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<div>Pero a través de todo, Dereck ha demostrado un coraje increíble. Le han extirpado el tumor y ahora se está sometiendo a terapia de protones en Fred Hutch. Se despierta todos los días listo para luchar, con resistencia y una sonrisa que ilumina los días más oscuros.
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<div>Y Perla, mi hermana, su madre, es nada menos que una heroína. Una madre soltera que ha enfrentado este viaje con fuerza, amor y esperanza inquebrantable. Ella ha llevado este peso con gracia, nunca dejando que Dereck viera el miedo en su corazón.
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<div>He creado este GoFundMe porque nadie debería tener que cargar con este tipo de carga solo. Los costos médicos son asombrosos: millones en tratamiento y miles más en medicamentos no cubiertos por el seguro. Mi esperanza es aliviar un poco de ese peso de sus hombros, para mostrarle que Dereck no está luchando solo. Tiene un ejército detrás de él.
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<div>Cada donación, cada oración, cada parte de esta historia marca la diferencia. Desde el fondo de nuestros corazones, gracias por estar con Dereck y Perla.
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Adam Baughman

Josh Schmidt

Rey Rubio

Carmen and Ketcham-Hamilton

Anonymous

Gilberto Moreno

Elisa Aarvik

Jennyfer Barrientos

Heladio Trujillo

Melissa Martinez

Veronica Ornelas

Jonathan Henao

Humildad Chávez García

Jasmin Leon

Jourdain Henao

Michele Sayed

Sean O’Kelley

A Fight for Dereck- A brave little warrior’s journey

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

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Fund is in English speaking country

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Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

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Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

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Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

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Posters INTL

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iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

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Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

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Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

NPO upsell education category

unclaimed charities

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AI Chatbot Audience

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UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

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Custom users

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Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

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PYMK has donors

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A Fight for Dereck- A brave little warrior’s journey

Still $17,007 to go. Help us build momentum.