Jeff 'El Jefe' Berry Medical Fund

Berry Family is organising this fundraiser.

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We have set up the GoFundMe page for our father. We are Pedro and Claudia Berry from Santee, CA.

Professor Jeff Berry, also known as Jefe or Hermano Jefe by many, was diagnosed with Stage IV Lymphoma back in January.

For a few months before January, Jeff was preparing to travel to Guatemala as part of a medical missions trip with a group from Foothills Christian Church. Only a few days before their flight, he went to the emergency room with strong stomach pains. After many tests, doctors found a couple masses pushing on his intestines, and deterimened that he had Lyphoma.

Jeff has been fighting hard these past few months, but things have not been going as planned. After the 4th of 6 chemo treatments, Jeff found himself with a high fever and abdomen pain. Doctors quickly changed his chemo treatment for a more aggresive dosage, as the cancer has been growing. He received two 3-day chemo treatments, and days before his next PET Scan, Jeff found himself in the E.R. with fever and more abdomen pain. The chemo treatments are not killing the cancer, and it keeps growing.

We are raising money to get a second opinion out of his health network, which must be paid out of pocket. We are also looking for alternative treatments, such as natural remedies. We know of a doctor in Paraguay that has healed family members in Mexico of other chronic diseases. The money we raise will be used for second opinions from other doctors which costs $500 each, the medication which costs about $2,000 and round trip airplane tickets are about $1,200 each. The rest of the money raised will be used for travel expenses.

If you have had the opportunity to meet El Jefe, you know he has lived a life of service. When he is not teaching Spanish, he is volunteering in Mexico. For years, up until the chemo treatments, he had been faithful to a community in Ensenada and an orphanage in Rosarito. Rain or shine, he would lead a group of volunteers to work with the kids twice a month. He would create a mini lesson, sing songs, play games, make lunch, celebrate birthdays and simply spend time with them. Every Christmas he also coordinated an event, collecting gifts for all the kids.

Jeff has unconditionally served this community and is dearly loved by all the families. Every trip he cannot attend is now filled with the kids wanting to know where he is. It has been heartbreaking having to explain he is too sick and seeing the worry on their little faces. They miss him so much.