Hi :) My name is Paige Tran, and this is about my mom and our little family of three. For some of you that don't know, my mom is one of the strongest people I know. So, where do I begin to tell her story? Over the years, my mom has had many health issues and complications. She has gone through countless surgeries, been on many different types of medications and struggles with day-to-day functions, including being able to do normal activities with my dad and me. As a result, we have missed out on a lot of memories that a normal family should be creating. In 2010, my mother was diagnosed with diabetes, which unfortunately for her, was not able to be controlled with medications and diet. Then, in 2016, we received the devastating news that both of her kidneys were failing. Which resulted in the requirement of dialysis three times a week. If you don't know, going through dialysis is detrimental to the body and she's constantly in pain. So, at least three days a week, she's out of it. However, our family learned to adapt to this new way of life for my mom.

Just when we started to find the light in our dark tunnel, the new norm, a small injury on her toes led to something significant. Because of her diabetes, these wounds did not heal properly, which caused necrosis of the tissue. This occurred when we were evacuating for Hurricane Laura in 2020. Necrotic tissue is basically dead tissue. When she was brought to the hospital, there was nothing the doctors could do and they informed us that she had to have an amputation, from the ankle down for both feet. As if this wasn't a hard pill to swallow, when my mom was discharged, we noticed that she didn't receive any antibiotics. By the time we were able to get a hold of the doctors, the infection had already spread into her bloodstream, causing sepsis. She was admitted back to the hospital, which resulted in another amputation from her knees down for both legs. Again, my family weathered this ordeal.

Fast forward to May 4, 2023, at 10 a.m., we received a phone call with the results of a recent biopsy that came back positive for breast cancer, Stage 3. When will this nightmare end?

I'm an only child, and my father works full-time to support my family. My mom is physically unable to do many things by herself. Simple tasks have become challenging, like using the bathroom or getting food. The simple things that you and I don't think twice about doing, is something she can no longer do, such as walk freely around the house, cook for my family, cleaning, driving to the the grocery store, etc. Now that we have a long road ahead of us with her cancer treatments and/or surgery, I know her medical expenses will be through the roof. Because I have to help my mom and take her to dialysis, I'm unable to work to help with her medical expenses. So, I decided to set up a GoFundMe page. My goal is to surprise her to help pay for her cancer treatments or travel expenses to MD Anderson. If God is willing and she does well, I would like to provide her with the opportunity to take one last trip to wherever she wants to go. If you have read this story this far, thank you, just reading it means a lot to me. If you can donate, small or big, it would be greatly appreciated. If you can't, it's okay. It only means I've reached some people through this platform. Now, I want to remind you to never take a second for granted because you never know what could happen. Hug your loved ones and make memories that you can cherish for a lifetime.