Adriana's Nephew Needs Your Help Now

Hi!

My name is Adriana Prieto Quintero. I’m raising funds for my sister and her family because my nephew has a very rare and aggressive cancer in his palate. They are currently in Santiago, Chile, and he will be undergoing surgery for the second time this June 10th. My sister needs to stay at the hospital to take care of him, which means she won’t be able to work for at least a month. They need support to cover their basic living expenses (rent, bills, food, and medications).

I’m organizing this fundraiser on their behalf and in accordance with their wish to keep their son out of the public eye during this very sensitive time. That’s why I’m not posting any photos or sharing the fundraiser publicly. If you follow me on social media, you’ve probably seen photos of my nephew when he was younger — he was Gabriela’s favorite person (and obviously mine too, since he’s way cooler than my sister). He’s now a very handsome 15-year-old teenager who loves soccer. Even though he hasn’t been able to play for the past year, he still watches every match with great passion.

This upcoming surgery is much more complex than the last one. His entire palate will be removed and reconstructed using bone and skin from his left arm and one of his legs. In addition, doctors will remove as many lymph nodes as possible, as the cancer has shown signs of spreading. He is expected to remain in intensive care for a few days and stay in the hospital for around a month.

After the surgery, he will undergo chemotherapy, which will be another physically and emotionally demanding process for him and the entire family.

As you can imagine, in addition to financial support, my family need lots of prayers, positive energy, and good vibes to help keep them strong during this time.

This is the hardest thing we’ve ever had to face as a family, and going through it while being immigrants makes it even more difficult because we are separated by circumstances beyond our control.

If you would like to contribute and help us raise funds, please do so privately, as I want to respect my sister’s privacy.

I will be uploading the medical reports in the coming days and will keep you updated on everything that happens along the way.

Thank you very much,

Adriana

Biopsy Report Summary

Patient:

Age: 15 years and 4 months

Report Date: January 20, 2025

Hospital: San Borja Arriarán Clinical Hospital – Department of Pathological Anatomy

Main Diagnosis:

Intermediate-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma located in the right upper maxilla (palate area).

Procedures Performed and Findings:

Deep Margin Enlargement:

Bone and soft palate fragments were examined.

Result: No signs of neoplastic infiltration were found (no evidence that the cancer spread beyond the main tumor).

Retention Cyst in Right Maxillary Sinus:

Respiratory mucosa was observed, consistent with a mucous extravasation retention cyst.

Result: No signs of cancer were found.

Partial Maxillectomy (removal of part of the maxilla):

The previous diagnosis of intermediate-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma was confirmed.

Bone involvement by contiguity was identified (tumor reached the nearby bone).

Angioinvasion was present (tumor cells invading blood vessels), but no neural invasion was found.

Surgical margins were in contact with the tumor in several areas, which may require further clinical attention.

Tumor Size:

2 x 1.3 cm

Additional Notes:

A previous incisional biopsy (ID: 24-10099) had already confirmed the diagnosis of intermediate-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

The remaining palatal mucosa is normal, with no evidence of neoplastic infiltration or ulceration.