Donate to Help Rose
Donation protected
Aloha! My name is Susana Herrera-Guillory. I am a teacher and a writer, and I want to share with you a story about my dear friend, who has been a huge inspiration to me in my life and who is now suffering greatly due to a terrible and aggressive cancer.
Allow me to introduce you to my beautiful friend, Rose Martillano. Rose is from the Philippines and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. I first met Rose in Santa Cruz, in Dan Bessie’s screenwriting class back in 1990. We became close friends immediately because we both had dreams of being a writer and working in Hollywood. Rose followed her dream and moved to L.A. and worked with the likes of Oliver Stone.
Rose moved to Maui in 2001 and has supported herself as an Art Consultant; she has worked in the construction field, which led to property management, all the while pursuing her writing goals. Over the years, she has written screenplays, songs, and most recently has been working on her first book. Rose worked as a nanny while working on the initial drafts of her novel. Her story has caught the interest of two prominent literary agents, and it is crucial for Rose to complete her novel. 2022 was supposed to be the year she finished the fifth draft and acquired an agent and publisher.
Unfortunately, her dream came to a halt when she found a large lump on her breast last December 2021. She spent the holiday in fear of what was coming.
In January, she was diagnosed with aggressive ductal carcinoma breast cancer. She is ER+/HER2+/ STAGE 3. Rose doesn’t drink or smoke, and she has been committed to living a healthy, creative, spiritual lifestyle for as long as I’ve known her, which makes this diagnosis that much more shocking. Plus, due to COVID, many people had to cancel their breast exams, check-ups, or any preventative measures because of protocols and COVID patients, so this is a double blow.
Normally surgery is the immediate course of action, but Rose’s tumor is too large to operate on, and the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes. Due to the size of the tumor and the aggressiveness of the cancer it was best for Rose to do chemotherapy first. To cure this cancer, she must undergo six months of TCHP chemotherapy (seven-hour infusion once every three weeks), a mastectomy, followed by radiation, 52 weeks of trastuzumab infusions, and five years of hormonal therapy.
Her cancer journey is long and painful, arduous, to say the least. But the good news is her treatments have an 80% success rate. Rose needs our prayers for strength and healing and encouragement to keep enduring the chemotherapy to survive her diagnosis, and come out of it in complete remission.
Before this, Rose and I encouraged each other by texting every day, how many minutes or hours we worked on our novels. Rose has never been willing to compromise who she is or what values she holds dear. She lives a life of integrity and honor. She inspires me every day because she has never stopped believing in or pursuing her purpose in life. Now, Rose can’t work, can’t write. Her life consists of lab tests, doctor’s appointments, chemotherapy, lots of shots, and combating the excruciating side effects of all the drugs.
In addition, Rose has been financially stressed because she has not been able to work since her diagnosis. Instead of fully being present to her treatments, she is plagued with the worry of how to financially afford to live during this difficult time. In the world we live in today, we hear of great pain and suffering, and yet we feel helpless to do anything to alleviate it. This time we can help. Our prayers, encouragement and financial support will make a positive impact on Rose’s life right now.
Cancer is a tough journey with many challenges. Please help reduce Rose’s financial stress so she can focus on healing and eventually return to accomplishing her writing goals, and pursuing her dreams of publishing her novel and writing the next one.
The money we raise for Rose will go towards medical expenses, much-needed integrative therapies which support her healing process, and living expenses for the next year.
In order to reach our goal, it’s going to require the incredible power of community. The more we give, the more we have because by giving to others, we find ourselves feeling the emotions of purpose and meaning in our lives. We are all connected on this planet and by pledging to help to heal others, we, in turn, heal ourselves. Whatever financial contribution you can make to Rose’s Go Fund Account is valuable. And if it feels right, please share Rose’s story on your social media platform so we can spread the word that a beautiful soul needs our help.
Allow me to introduce you to my beautiful friend, Rose Martillano. Rose is from the Philippines and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. I first met Rose in Santa Cruz, in Dan Bessie’s screenwriting class back in 1990. We became close friends immediately because we both had dreams of being a writer and working in Hollywood. Rose followed her dream and moved to L.A. and worked with the likes of Oliver Stone.
Rose moved to Maui in 2001 and has supported herself as an Art Consultant; she has worked in the construction field, which led to property management, all the while pursuing her writing goals. Over the years, she has written screenplays, songs, and most recently has been working on her first book. Rose worked as a nanny while working on the initial drafts of her novel. Her story has caught the interest of two prominent literary agents, and it is crucial for Rose to complete her novel. 2022 was supposed to be the year she finished the fifth draft and acquired an agent and publisher.
Unfortunately, her dream came to a halt when she found a large lump on her breast last December 2021. She spent the holiday in fear of what was coming.
In January, she was diagnosed with aggressive ductal carcinoma breast cancer. She is ER+/HER2+/ STAGE 3. Rose doesn’t drink or smoke, and she has been committed to living a healthy, creative, spiritual lifestyle for as long as I’ve known her, which makes this diagnosis that much more shocking. Plus, due to COVID, many people had to cancel their breast exams, check-ups, or any preventative measures because of protocols and COVID patients, so this is a double blow.
Normally surgery is the immediate course of action, but Rose’s tumor is too large to operate on, and the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes. Due to the size of the tumor and the aggressiveness of the cancer it was best for Rose to do chemotherapy first. To cure this cancer, she must undergo six months of TCHP chemotherapy (seven-hour infusion once every three weeks), a mastectomy, followed by radiation, 52 weeks of trastuzumab infusions, and five years of hormonal therapy.
Her cancer journey is long and painful, arduous, to say the least. But the good news is her treatments have an 80% success rate. Rose needs our prayers for strength and healing and encouragement to keep enduring the chemotherapy to survive her diagnosis, and come out of it in complete remission.
Before this, Rose and I encouraged each other by texting every day, how many minutes or hours we worked on our novels. Rose has never been willing to compromise who she is or what values she holds dear. She lives a life of integrity and honor. She inspires me every day because she has never stopped believing in or pursuing her purpose in life. Now, Rose can’t work, can’t write. Her life consists of lab tests, doctor’s appointments, chemotherapy, lots of shots, and combating the excruciating side effects of all the drugs.
In addition, Rose has been financially stressed because she has not been able to work since her diagnosis. Instead of fully being present to her treatments, she is plagued with the worry of how to financially afford to live during this difficult time. In the world we live in today, we hear of great pain and suffering, and yet we feel helpless to do anything to alleviate it. This time we can help. Our prayers, encouragement and financial support will make a positive impact on Rose’s life right now.
Cancer is a tough journey with many challenges. Please help reduce Rose’s financial stress so she can focus on healing and eventually return to accomplishing her writing goals, and pursuing her dreams of publishing her novel and writing the next one.
The money we raise for Rose will go towards medical expenses, much-needed integrative therapies which support her healing process, and living expenses for the next year.
In order to reach our goal, it’s going to require the incredible power of community. The more we give, the more we have because by giving to others, we find ourselves feeling the emotions of purpose and meaning in our lives. We are all connected on this planet and by pledging to help to heal others, we, in turn, heal ourselves. Whatever financial contribution you can make to Rose’s Go Fund Account is valuable. And if it feels right, please share Rose’s story on your social media platform so we can spread the word that a beautiful soul needs our help.
Co-organizers (4)
John Guillory
Organizer
Scotts Valley, CA
Rosaminda Martillano
Beneficiary
Kim Mosley
Co-organizer
Jana Fowler
Co-organizer