Hi, My name is Elizabeth.

There is a chance that I have met you personally, and you have seen the unique pigmentation I have on my right eye that I have had for nearly my entire life. I was recently diagnosed with an ocular melanoma freckle and will need an urgent mass ocular biopsy + graft transplant surgery. Plus, the corrective surgeries that follow..

I have created a crowd fundraiser available for anyone who feels called or drawn to help during this journey during the uncertainty of this time. I am ready for the process to begin but am sitting on the financial stress of unknowing how this will land. No amount is too little to support this journey. My intention for this crowdfund is to overcome this obstacle and create a success story for us to celebrate with one another. Every penny, dollar or more will be spent all for this medical emergency that is presented.

The goal amount will be going towards the relief of:

eye photos were taken 08/05/2022

History and information about the Melanoma Freckle:

The pigmentation has offered a distinctive trademark and has added many beautiful shapes and colors throughout the years. I have grown to love it, for it is a part of my facial identity. I was informed as a young adult that this pigmentation is a freckle and is common in Spanish heritage. For the time being, it was not considered a medical condition but a cosmetic surgery that would have no leverage with help with insurance to remove it.

Over the years, this freckle has grown from a speck into a mass coloration covering the white in my eye. Over the pandemic, the freckle started to grow very fast while cell growth was building into a tumor. Getting medical appointments at the time was challenging due to the available restrictions and limitations of COVID in the early stages of the pandemic. Of course, there was an immediate concern back then, but being able to see an MD in person vs. a phone call took months with setbacks due to all the restrictions and shutdowns.

In early 2022 I was able to seek medical help with examinations. I was diagnosed with a melanoma freckle on my eye, which is very concerning and what I am learning is that it could be fatal if not caught & removed in time. Once told this news, I have been at the mercy of my medical insurance and authorizations that were denied for about seven months until recently. I have had to quit my financial sustaining jobs to become my own full-time advocate, spending hours on the phone weekly with clinics, insurances, and any resources I could find to help me propel to the next step. This has brought on a whole world of instability: not knowing what the next months will look like, financial burdens, stress, etc.

I've recently had an exam with UCSF and will undergo a mass Ocular Biopsy for the freckle + pigmentation removal while adding a membrane graft onto my eye. The Biopsy is urgent for the presented growth to see if we removed it in time before it has entered a Cancerous stage. I need to go on an immediate sabbatical to prepare for this medical necessity and set myself up for a time to recover and heal with the graft as we all wait for the results to see if we caught this in time. As long as the lab results are precise, I will focus on my recovery for the graft to settle into my eye, which should look as ordinary as one eyeball can. I can't imagine what my eye will look like considering I have had the pigmentation for a few decades. The recovery from the graft transplant will be about 2-3 months. I will not be able to drive for more than the first half, not able to do my movement routine for the first half and strictly do nothing but rest. After the graft heals, I will have follow-up visits and possibly other surgeries that would not be covered under my current limited insurance. I will have no choice but to accept help from others that feel called or inspired to help along the way - out of my comfort, for I am the 'caretaker' of others!

I come from a family line where cancer is present within our genes. We lost my brother, Christopher, to a rare blood cancer when he was 16 that was terminal. My mother is a survivor of skin melanoma and ovarian cancer, and I also lost my uncle to Lung cancer before I was born. This is something that is an extreme threat to myself and my family.

I can be stubborn and have taken pride in my independence, but I realize this is a unique medical emergency that is beyond me. I would be incredibly touched for every penny, time or energy offered to contribute to this opportunity to get the care needed so I can overcome this. I realize that I have a fantastic support team with family, friends, clients, students, acquaintances and more who have been stepping in to help along the way. This experience as a whole is making me feel incredibly humbled and touched. It is so amazing to receive the love and support from everyone.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, your donation, and your energy. I am more ready than ever and feel connected to the faith and what the creator has in store for me.

With love & compassion,

Elizabeth Pizano