Gabriel Sanchez Jr. is a husband and father of 4 wonderful children, and a USMC Veteran who served with 1st Battalion 4th Marines and 2nd Battalion 1st Marines during his time in the United States Marine Corps. During his service, he was deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. After being honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps. in 2012 Gabe worked for UPS until he was injured and in 2023 Gabe started attending Texas A&M University to study Horticulture with hopes to learn more about plants that can aid with cancer complications and veterans with PTSD and other ailments.

In April 2023, Gabriel went to the Emergency Room for what he believed to be chest pains from a possible gallbladder attack. In the ER, they were unable to find anything wrong except that his kidney levels were extremely high, and they admitted him due to severe dehydration, which they thought was the cause of the elevated creatinine levels. They gave him fluids to improve his dehydration, hoping it would take care of his kidney issues as well. Gabriel was in the hospital for a whole week, and no matter the number of fluids they gave him, the levels were not dropping. The on-call doctor in charge of his care told him that they did not know what was wrong and believed that it was just going to be his normal kidney function from this point on. The doctor instructed him to go home, drink lots of fluids, and hopefully, it would correct itself. They told him they would discharge him the next day and left.

The next day, a new nephrologist began his weekly rotation, looked at Gabriel's chart, and came into his room before they discharged him. He explained that he did not like the results he was seeing and did not feel right discharging him until he found out what could be causing the issues with his kidneys. He asked Gabriel if he had ever been exposed to any chemicals. Gabriel mentioned he did not know what chemicals he was exposed to in Afghanistan or Iraq and was constantly downwind from the burn pits during deployment. Dr. Kahan asked Gabe if he would mind if he did some more tests to try to determine the cause of his issues. During this time, Gabriel had already lost more than 20 pounds and was below 140 pounds. The doctor took a total of 24 different tests, drawing 14 vials of blood. They kept him in the hospital for 3 more days, and before he was discharged, they determined that the problem he was having was not his kidneys; it was in his blood. They referred him to a hematologist, where they diagnosed him with an advanced stage of Multiple Myeloma, a rare blood cancer that affects your plasma cells. Multiple myeloma happens when healthy cells turn into abnormal cells that multiply and produce abnormal antibodies called M proteins. This change starts a cascade of medical issues and conditions that can affect your bones, your kidneys, and your body’s ability to make healthy white and red blood cells and platelets.

There’s no known cure for multiple myeloma. Healthcare providers provide treatments to help people live as long as possible while having a quality of life. But there is a possibility for prolonged remission, a time after treatment when you don’t have multiple myeloma signs or symptoms. On June 6th, Gabriel ended up getting weaker and was admitted back into the hospital for a blood transfusion and more fluids. They immediately began chemo treatments. When Gabe was released from the hospital, he required a wheelchair and mobility scooter to get around. He was unable to get out of bed most days due to extreme weakness and excruciating bone pain. As the chemo started to work, he would be extremely sick from the treatment and ended up needing to have all of his teeth except 5 removed due to the cancer. The VA paid to have his teeth removed but will not pay to get him dentures to replace the missing teeth. Gabriel has a hard time maintaining healthy nutrition without teeth and struggles to maintain a healthy weight. He got down to 131 pounds and still struggles to gain or maintain a healthy weight due to not being able to eat properly.

Gabriel was approved for a stem cell transplant in March 2024 and completed it with short-lived success. During the transplant procedure, he was in the hospital for 2 weeks, and we had to stay locally in a hotel for the remaining time needed for follow-ups following the transplant. Shortly after he was released from the transplant due to reaching remission, he developed an infection through his port. Again, he was admitted into the hospital and required daily antibiotic IVs. While he was feeling good, Gabriel was able to start attending Texas A&M University to pursue a degree in horticulture. He hopes to be able to work with plants that can aid with cancer complications, PTSD, and other veteran issues. Unfortunately, his white blood counts remained low, and he recently went back for his 4th bone marrow biopsy. During this time, they discovered that his cancer is back and is aggressive. They are suggesting CAR-T therapy. During this treatment, Gabe will have to go back to the treatment center and has to remain less than an hour away from the transplant hospital for the entirety of the treatment. During this time, he will be unable to drive or care for himself due to the treatment and chemo he will be required to undergo.

Gabriel and his family are needing your help to raise money to help him get his dentures, pay for lodging, transportation, medical equipment, services, and recovery.

Every dollar raised will help alleviate the financial strain and allow Gabriel to focus on healing and spending the precious time he has with his friends and family. Please help Gabe and his family.