It’s her smile, her eyes, almond-shaped, full of hope, and love, and charisma, and goals, Darly Diaz is a force to be reckoned with.

Homecoming queen.
Championship soccer team.
HDN Honorable mention.
President of the Fortuna Fire Explorers.
A leader.
A sister.
A daughter.
A friend.

A photograph sits on her Instagram page, skating with her dad, a skinny little thing with long legs, taken when she was eight, maybe nine years old, smiles proudly up at her daddy.

Designed and destined to do great things in this world, Darly was set to start at the University of San Diego this fall.

Darly is a giver.
A giver of time.
A giver of talents both on and off the field.
A giver of grace, and the best hugs and love.
Right when everything was falling into place, when most high school graduates were concerned with move-in day, college classes, boys, girls, college majors, co-ed parties, the Diaz family received news that no parent, child, ever wants to hear.

Cancer.

A blow to the family like a boulder that sits in their living room at night while they worry about chemotherapy, travel to the city and back when just parking alone is $75 a day, but mostly, their daughter and her health.

The Diaz Family needs our love. They’re looking for bright spots in humanity, in our community when their days will be difficult, sometimes excruciating.

Did you know that Darly’s major in college is pre-med? She’s planned to be a doctor since she was a little girl.

Every day at 4:15, Darly sits down for her daily chemotherapy treatments. While most college freshmen are wrapping up their first semester of college, contemplating good grades, bad grades, travel, family plans, the holidays—Darly sits in chemotherapy, in hopes that the medicine will help her live a long fruitful life, which she deserves.

Did you know Darly finished her first semester at College of the Redwoods with straight A’s?

Because Darly Diaz is a fighter.
A survivor.
A soft smile on a dark day.
A bright spot in the world.
A picture of Darly and her boyfriend dance across her Instagram page, in love, full of hope, and a future as bright as the moon.

Words are written to her mother, “thank you for eating lunch with me when you could when I was in elementary school.”

A picture of her father, she says goodbye to him as he leaves to battle the awful summer blazes of 2020.

A picture of her younger brother holding on to one another.

This is the beautiful, breathtaking soul of Darly Diaz.

Our little town of Fortuna, California was built to withstand earthquakes, fire, rain, and sadness, families that endure heartbreak—to help lift them up, help them feel our love, be their soft place to land.

Help us give Darly the best fighting chance against this disease and keep her solely focused on kicking cancer’s butt by donating to help pay for her treatments and travel expenses.