Friends of Juan Martinez and Family

Our dear friend, Juan Martinez, is facing a terrible medical crisis. In April and May he began feeling very ill every time he ate and sought medical advice. It soon came to the point that he was often unable to eat at all. He began to lose a great deal of weight and to feel tired all the time. After many tests and much waiting, he has been given the diagnosis of stomach cancer. He is still waiting to know what stage the cancer is and his specific treatment plan.  Possible treatment includes surgery and/or chemotherapy. Hopefully lots of pain medication too!
In the meantime, Juan's mother in Los Angeles area is also facing medical issues and an upcoming surgery. Because she also needs support, and because both Juan and Fresbinda have many family members in Southern California, and of course there are incredible medical centers there, the Martinez family has decided to move back to Southern California.  They are now in the process of packing and finishing up work with Ballet Folklorico and other community groups they are involved in. Their current plans are to work and save money to move and to leave Medford about June 30. 
Juan is heroically working as much as he can at his job to earn the money needed to move. Alondra is teaching folklorico and finishing her junior year at South High and Fres is working, packing, and keeping the family going. Julissa is finishing her first year at UO Music School and coming home often to be of support.
But the situation is overwhelming to each of them.  As you can imagine, they will need thousands of dollars for medical treatment here and later in Southern California. They immediately need money to prepare for their move and take care of medical expenses. Most of all they need any kind of relief we can offer them from the stress they  are under. By contributing to this campaign, we can show our love and support for Juan so he can work less and devote himself to his healing. With your generous contributions, the family can have the freedom to choose when to move to California based on Juan's and the family's needs rather than being tied to his paycheck. This could make a huge difference in the success of his treatment!
All funds collected from this campaign will go directly to Juan and his family. This campaign is not linked financially to Ballet Folklorico, though we will publicize it through our Facebook and ask that it be spread widely by our friends and fans.
As the campaign progresses we will mention other ways people can help Juan and his family.
Thank you for any and all contributions big and small!
Juan Martinez has given many thousands of hours of service to Ballet Folklorico and numerous other music and religious activities. Now in his hour of need, it is our opportunity to give back to him and show him our support.