<div><strong>Fighting for Eduardo: A Family’s Journey of Hope </strong>
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<div>*Lea la versión en español a continuación
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<div>There are people who come into your life and become like family, not because of blood, but because of shared time, laughter, and memories. Eduardo and his family are that kind of family to us.
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<div>We met while living in Lima, Peru, where our daughters grew up alongside their two boys. Weekends were spent at a beach house community, escaping the city, playing tennis (where Eduardo would regularly kick my butt!), and watching the kids all hang out together. Those were the good times. Even after we all moved back to the U.S., we stayed close and continued making memories.
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<div>That’s why it was especially heartbreaking when, just over three years ago, Eduardo was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer at just 22 years old. Doctors in Lima referred him to specialists at Stanford, where we all hoped for answers and a path forward. Instead, they delivered devastating news: Eduardo would need to have his lower leg amputated.
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<div>My daughter Ashley and I traveled to California to show our love and support. Through it all, Eduardo never lost his light.
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<div>Now 26, he is still battling epithelioid sarcoma, a rare cancer with no known cure. He has endured multiple rounds of immunotherapy, surgeries, and other treatments.
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<div>Recently, Eduardo was accepted into a promising clinical trial at MD Anderson in Houston, offering new hope in his fight against this rare cancer. While the medication is covered by MD Anderson, the family remains responsible for a significant portion of the medical costs, as well as everything not included: scans, lab work, frequent travel, and accommodations every three weeks.
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<div>Although Eduardo has local insurance in Peru, he doesn’t have international coverage, meaning that all treatment at MD Anderson as well as airfare, lodging, and related expenses, must be paid out of pocket, with total costs expected to exceed $850,000.
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<div>To make matters worse, Eduardo’s rare diagnosis means that many of his treatments are not recognized under standard insurance coverage. The family has had to fight for nearly every treatment, appealing countless denials while seeking social programs to help cover essential costs. This ongoing struggle has created tremendous financial and emotional strain at a time when their focus should be on healing and hope.
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<div>Through everything, they’ve never wanted to ask for help...
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<div>My dear friend Gracia, Eduardo’s mom, said she would give up everything if it meant giving her son a chance at life, and honestly, I would do the same for my own daughters. But no family should have to face something this overwhelming alone. That’s why I’ve been thinking of every possible way to help.
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<div>If you’ve ever known someone with cancer, or someone who’s had to fight like hell just to survive, you know how isolating and overwhelming it can be.
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<div>Please read Eduardo’s full story below. Share it. Donate if you can. Every act of support brings this brave young man closer to a chance at life and helps ease the burden on a family that has already given everything.
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<div>Con amor y profunda gratitud,
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<div>Kimberly and Family
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<div><strong>EDUARDO’S STORY: A Letter from His Family</strong>
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<div>From the moment Eduardo was born, we knew he had come into this world for something special. We never imagined that his greatest challenge would come so young, or that his strength would inspire so many.
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<div>Eduardo has always had a natural talent for sports, with his favorite being basketball. He played for his high school, a local club, and eventually his university. Everything changed when Eduardo started coming home from practice with pain in his ankle. After months of doctor visits, physical therapy, and exploratory surgeries, we received a call no parent ever wants to get. At just 22, Eduardo was diagnosed with epithelioid sarcoma (ES), a rare and aggressive cancer with no known cure.
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<div>Since oncologists in our country were unsure how to address his diagnosis, we traveled to the US to seek opinions from ES specialists, despite not having international insurance. That was when they gave us the heartbreaking news that the only option was radical surgery. On February 17, 2022, Eduardo’s right foot was amputated. Although devastating, Eduardo learned to walk again with a prosthesis and did so with courage. He never hides it and has turned it into a part of his identity.
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<div>A year later, the cancer returned. He went through 21 cycles of immunotherapy and several other treatments, yet the tumors persisted. Even in the midst of pain, Eduardo earned a degree in Industrial Engineering, started his first job, and fell in love with his best friend. That’s who our son is, someone who chooses to live his life to the fullest, even when life tests his limits.
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<div><strong>A NEW HOPE:</strong>
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<div>Today, we have new hope. MD Anderson in Houston has accepted Eduardo into a clinical trial that could finally stop the progression of the cancer. Unfortunately, while the medicine itself is covered, the additional costs such as checkups, scans, tests, flights, and accommodations every three weeks, now fall on us as a family.
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<div>As parents, we are committed to exploring every possible option for our child, no matter how difficult. Eduardo reminds us every day that this battle demands courage, strength, and heart, and he shows up ready just as he would for any game.
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<div>We know it takes a village, and today more than ever, we feel the strength of ours. Every word of encouragement, every prayer, and every act of kindness help our beloved Eduardo keep fighting and facing the toughest and most challenging game of his life.
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<div>With immense gratitude,
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<div>Eduardo’s family
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<div><strong>Read the Spanish Version Below / Lea la versión en español a continuación</strong>
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<div><strong>Luchando por Eduardo: El viaje de esperanza de una familia</strong>
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<div>Lea la versión en inglés arriba
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<div>Hay personas que entran en tu vida y se convierten en familia, no por sangre, sino por el tiempo compartido, las risas y los recuerdos. Eduardo y su familia son ese tipo de familia para nosotros.
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<div>Nos conocimos mientras vivíamos en Lima, Perú, donde nuestras hijas crecieron junto a sus dos hijos. Los fines de semana los pasábamos en la playa, escapando de la ciudad, jugando tenis (donde Eduardo regularmente me ganaba!) y viendo a los niños pasar tiempo juntos. Esos eran los buenos momentos. Incluso después de que todos regresamos a Estados Unidos, seguimos en contacto y continuamos creando recuerdos.
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<div>Por eso fue especialmente desgarrador cuando, hace tres años, a Eduardo le diagnosticaron un cáncer raro y agresivo a tan solo 22 años. Los médicos en Lima lo remitieron a especialistas en Stanford, donde todos esperábamos respuestas y un camino a seguir. En cambio, recibimos una noticia devastadora: Eduardo necesitaría amputarse la pierna inferior.
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<div>Mi hija Ashley y yo viajamos a California para mostrar nuestro amor y apoyo. A pesar de todo, Eduardo nunca perdió su luz.
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<div>Ahora, con 26 años, sigue luchando contra el sarcoma epitelioide, un cáncer raro sin cura conocida. Ha pasado por múltiples rondas de inmunoterapia, cirugías y otros tratamientos.
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<div>Recientemente, Eduardo fue aceptado en un prometedor ensayo clínico en el hospital MD Anderson de Houston, que le da una nueva esperanza en su lucha contra este tipo de cáncer tan poco común. Aunque el medicamento está cubierto por el hospital, la familia debe hacerse cargo de una gran parte de los gastos médicos, además de todo lo que no está incluido: análisis, exámenes, viajes frecuentes y alojamiento cada tres semanas.
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<div>Eduardo tiene un seguro local en Perú y como no cuenta con un seguro internacional, todos los costos del tratamiento en Houston, incluyendo pasajes, estadía y otros gastos relacionados, deben pagarse de su propio bolsillo. Se estima que los costos totales superarán los 850,000 dólares.
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<div>Lo peor de todo es que el tipo de cáncer que padece Eduardo es tan raro que muchos tratamientos no son reconocidos por los seguros comunes. La familia ha tenido que luchar por casi cada autorización, apelando a múltiples rechazos y buscando programas de ayuda para cubrir los gastos esenciales. Esta lucha constante ha generado una enorme carga económica y emocional, justo cuando su energía debería estar centrada en la recuperación y la esperanza.
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<div>A pesar de todo, nunca han querido pedir ayuda…
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<div>Mi querida amiga Gracia, la mamá de Eduardo, dijo que renunciaría a todo si eso significara darle a su hijo una oportunidad de vida, y sinceramente, yo haría lo mismo por mis propias hijas. Pero ninguna familia debería enfrentar algo tan abrumador sola. Por eso he estado pensando en todas las formas posibles de ayudar.
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<div>Si alguna vez has conocido a alguien con cáncer, o alguien que ha tenido que luchar con todas sus fuerzas solo para sobrevivir, sabes lo aislante y abrumador que puede ser.
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<div>Por favor, lee la historia completa de Eduardo a continuación. Compártela. Dona si puedes. Cada acto de apoyo acerca a este valiente joven a una oportunidad de vida y ayuda a aliviar la carga de una familia que ya ha dado todo.
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<div>Con amor y profunda gratitud,
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<div>Kimberly y familia
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<div><strong>LA HISTORIA DE EDUARDO: Una carta de su familia</strong>
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<div>Desde el momento en que Eduardo nació, supimos que había llegado a este mundo para algo especial. Nunca imaginamos que su mayor desafío llegaría tan joven, ni que su fortaleza inspiraría a tantos.
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<div>Eduardo siempre tuvo un talento natural para los deportes, siendo el basket su favorito. Jugó para su escuela secundaria, un club local y finalmente su universidad. Todo cambió cuando Eduardo empezó a llegar a casa de los entrenamientos con dolor en el tobillo. Tras meses de visitas al médico, fisioterapia y cirugías exploratorias, recibimos una llamada que ningún padre desea recibir. A tan solo 22 años, a Eduardo le diagnosticaron sarcoma epitelioide (SE), un cáncer raro y agresivo sin cura conocida.
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<div>Como los oncólogos en nuestro país no sabían cómo abordar su diagnóstico, viajamos a EE. UU. para buscar opiniones de especialistas en SE, a pesar de no tener seguro internacional. Fue entonces cuando nos dieron la desgarradora noticia de que la única opción era una cirugía radical. El 17 de febrero de 2022, se amputó el pie derecho de Eduardo. Aunque devastador, Eduardo aprendió a caminar nuevamente con una prótesis y lo hizo con valentía. Nunca lo oculta y lo ha convertido en parte de su identidad.
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<div>Un año después, el cáncer regresó. Pasó por 21 ciclos de inmunoterapia y varios otros tratamientos, pero los tumores persistieron. Incluso en medio del dolor, Eduardo obtuvo un título en Ingeniería Industrial, comenzó su primer trabajo y se enamoró de su mejor amiga. Así es nuestro hijo: alguien que elige vivir su vida al máximo, incluso cuando la vida pone a prueba sus límites.
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<div><strong>UNA NUEVA ESPERANZA:</strong>
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<div>Hoy, tenemos una nueva esperanza. MD Anderson en Houston ha aceptado a Eduardo en un ensayo clínico que podría finalmente detener la progresión del cáncer. Desafortunadamente, aunque el medicamento en sí está cubierto, los costos adicionales como consultas, estudios, vuelos y alojamiento cada tres semanas recaen ahora en nosotros como familia.
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<div>Como padres, estamos comprometidos a explorar todas las opciones posibles para nuestro hijo, así tengamos que atravesar todos los obstáculos. Eduardo nos recuerda cada día, que ésta es una batalla que se gana con coraje, fuerza y corazón.
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<div>Sabemos que la unión hace la fuerza y hoy lo sentimos más que nunca. Cada palabra de aliento, cada oración y cada acto de solidaridad ayudan a que nuestro querido Eduardo siga luchando y enfrentando el partido más duro que le ha tocado jugar.
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<div>Con inmensa gratitud,
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<div>La familia de Eduardo
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Maria d Pilar Trelles

Anonymous

CLAUDIA CASTILLO

Beatrice Ciabatti

Jackie Saettone

Jose Martinez W

Paula Arrus

Ernesto Espinosa

Goyie Dumler

Fighting for Eduardo: A Family’s Journey of Hope

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