My name is Joshua Loya. My wife, Andrea Loya, just beat breast cancer. That’s something to celebrate! We still need your help.

Our car is nearing its end, and we’ll be unable to drive it beyond the end of September. More precisely, Andrea will be unable to drive it. Due to my blindness, and my desire to keep living, I have never driven it. We were extremely fortunate in that nearly all of Andrea’s medical expenses were covered by insurance. Our daily living expenses were and will be covered through the foreseeable future. That said, we do not have the money for a car. We currently survive on my disability benefits, 55 hours worth of IHSS (In Home Supportive Services) hours Andrea works each month, and subsidized rent through Section 8. In addition to my blindness, I also have ADHD, autism, and PTSD. The autism and ADHD were only diagnosed in May of 2024, and I’m still learning what I need in light of this information.

Andrea and I were working on our plans for Adventure Mind Inc., our little nonprofit which mostly only exists on paper, when Andrea was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in November of 2024. We were already reeling from the news of three separate people close to us dying when Andrea got the call. A month later, our mostly blind and deaf poodle terrier, Chance, crossed the rainbow bridge. We didn’t have anything left to give. All we could do was concentrate on Andrea’s treatment and recovery.

Andrea had a successful surgery to remove all of her cancer on August 1. She was able to resume driving on August 14, but it’ll be another 2 weeks before she can drive on freeways. She currently needs to have her right arm wrapped up or in a compression sleeve for the rest of August. She’s unable to lift anything heavier than 5 pounds for another month, but she is now able to raise her hands overhead, which she was previously not able to do. She will begin targeted radiation treatment in September. She’s projected to be able to resume all activity by January. She’s nearing the home stretch.

I resisted several suggestions to put up a Go Fund Me before now because Andrea didn’t want to do so. She only changed her mind once we got the news that the catalytic converter on our 2006 Kia Rio was going out, and there was no way it would pass smog without one. We learned that replacing it would cost more than our car was worth, and we determined we wouldn’t be able to afford a car payment. Public transportation is not a viable long-term solution for us.

Our only real need is for the car. Once we have procured a car, registered it, and confirmed it is in good condition, any remaining funds will be dedicated to the work of Adventure Mind, as our personal day to day expenses are already covered through other means.

If you have a car that you think is a good fit for who we are and what we do, we’re open to a direct donation. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it has to get decent gas mileage and likely to stay in good working order for 5 years with regular maintenance.

What is Adventure Mind?

Adventure Mind Inc. is dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities and our allies through adaptive athletics and creative expression. Our founder, Joshua Loya, lost his eyesight in a martial arts accident with a pair of nunchucks when he was 15-years-old. He has since earned 5 black belts and martial arts rank across 7 styles. He is also a competitive surfer and stand-up comedian, speaking openly about his triumphs and struggles. His wife, Andrea Loya, is an equally decorated and accomplished martial artist with a profound gift for teaching students with and without disabilities. They have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of others through what inspires them, even if the people they help can pay nothing.

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Andrea will be able to resume full activity, including sparring, by January. The rest of 2025 will be dedicated to her recovery and to us determining our next course of action with Adventure Mind. In the meantime, we could really use your help. The last year has taken a lot from us, but we’re still here. We just need a car. I promise I won’t drive it except under very close supervision.