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Care for Cristina - A Cancer Fight



May 25th, 2017
- is a day that is still etched in our minds, and in our hearts. This day has changed our lives.
We’d like to share the story of how we remember the events that led up to our mom’s diagnosis:

On May 22, 2017- in Beeville, Texas, our mom was rushed to the hospital due to shortness of breath. She was having a hard time breathing. Unable to talk, or even walk without feeling like she was drowning. It was odd, and unusual.

At Christus Spohn Santa Rosa Hospital in Beeville, TX- doctors performed x-rays and cat scans. The results of these procedures showed something unusual in her right lung. The Dr’s did not want to misdiagnose, and therefore suggested she be transported to a hospital in a bigger city where more specialized Dr’s could test and give an accurate diagnosis.


San Antonio immediately was suggested since it is where 3 of her children reside. She was transported to Santa Rosa Hospital.  She spent several days and nights in the hospital where more procedures and tests were done….until Thursday, May 25th. That day mom was officially diagnosed with lung cancer –[Adenoidcarcinoma ].


As soon as we heard the news, we surrounded our mom and dad with lots of love, and prayers. We couldn’t help but cry together. It was such a surprising diagnosis. Mom has never smoked a day in her life, and cancer has never been in our family. It is such a scary word. We knew what we had to do- PRAY.   
One of the symptoms of the lung cancer is fluid build- up in her lung. This causes the same shortness of breath  that she felt from the onset of this diagnosis. To relieve this, she has to have a procedure called thoracentesis done. This is where the lung is drained of the fluid, and she is able to breath again.  From the first time she had this done (in May) to the 2nd time she had to get it done - was 4 weeks. Today, she is having to get it done weekly.

Her cancer is being treated with Immunotherapy. A drug called Keytruda. This is in place of chemotherapy. Her oncologist believes that eventually, when the treatment begins to kill the cancer- the fluid build-up will decrease, and she will not need to get it drained as often.  As of now, she has received 2 treatments out of 8 in the first cycle.


There’s more:

On July 31st, her oncologist made a new diagnosis. Aside from Lung Cancer, she has what they think is Mesothelioma surrounding some organs. Because of the rarity of this occurrence- having two different type of cancers, he referred her to MD Anderson in Houston, Texas for further testing and possible treatment.  At the moment we await to hear the diagnosis from MD Anderson about the Mesothelioma. As they request pathology reports to review, we await to hear from them.

Our parents currently live in Beeville, Texas. They Pastor City of Truth Apostolic Church, where they have served for the last 8 years. They have dedicated their lives to ministering, and helping others.

This account was created to help raise funds to pay for the medical bills, treatment that insurance will not cover, travel expenses between Beeville, San Antonio and Houston- and anything else that may potentially arise. Any amount donated would be a huge blessing.
Although we hope to ease some of the financial strain on our parents, we also ask that you keep our mother in prayer as she fights for her life.  It is not easy to see her go through this, but we are strong because our God is stronger and our faith is what holds us together.


(60th birthday - July 2017)

Thank you for reading this, and allowing us to pour our hearts out. We greatly appreciate you joining us in this fight. We know the Lord will greatly bless you for your generosity.

With hope & love,
The Lopez Family

#CareForCristina 


Photo Credit: Melissa Castaneda Photography

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Donations 

  • Christine Nguyen
    • $50 
    • 6 yrs
  • Anonymous Donor
    • $500 (Offline)
    • 7 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $1,000 (Offline)
    • 7 yrs
  • Nick and Stacey Garcia
    • $25 (Offline)
    • 7 yrs
  • Mike and Betty Torres
    • $70 (Offline)
    • 7 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Cesar R Lopez
Organizer
Beeville, TX
Carlos Lopez
Beneficiary

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