Main fundraiser photo

Funeral Expenses for Arturo Pena

Donation protected

On December 30th, 2019, Arturo (Tury) Pena's life was cut short at the young age of 19 after a four-year-long battle with a rare cancer Ewing Sarcoma. With Tury's original diagnosis at just 14 in February 2015, the prognosis was not optimistic, but in 2016 doctors thought he had beat the odds. This victory was short-lived, and treatment had to restart just a year later in August of 2017. Treatment again lasted nearly a year and was marked with another short-lived victory. May of 2019 would prove to have many milestones for Tury, both positive and negative. Tury realized his dreams of getting to attend his senior prom and walk across the stage as a high school graduate getting to experience the much desired “normal” teenager things. While his dreams of joining the Air Force were gone due to his past cancer he was hopeful his future would be more normal and he would be able to continue with his art that he loved. Unfortunately, May also marked the third resurgence of his cancer, and this time would prove to be his last bout with the disease.


The third resurgence of cancer grew worse and spread faster than the chemo and radiation could kill the disease, making Tury progressively sicker over the next several months. Tury's last Thanksgiving was spent in the hospital as he required to have his lungs drained of fluid so he could continue to breathe on his own. But still hopeful after the procedure, he went home a few days later. But just three weeks later, he walked into University Medical Center for the last time. As day by day, he grew weaker and found himself in more pain than he could bear, or doctors could manage. Tury was then told that his lungs were beginning to fill with fluid again but this time he was not expected to survive the procedure, but they could try. On December 22nd, Tury made the decision to stop all treatment as he was only growing worse, and further treatment would only prolong his pain. At the age of just 19, Tury made the decision to go home as he didn't want to die in the hospital and didn't want to end up on life support with no prospects of getting better.

Tury spent his final days at home surrounded by his family until passing in his sleep at 1 AM on December 30th. Tury is survived by his parents Rita Pena and Arturo Pena, his younger brother Samuel Pena, Grandmother Celia Tapetillo. And many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins who never left his side during his four-year battle. While Tury had many wishes and dreams that will go unfulfilled, his wish of passing on his own terms is one his family made come true for him.

All funds raised will be used to pay for funeral expenses for my nephew, and to make his last wish come true. Tury's last wish was for some of his ashes to be used and made into a sword as he loved all things to do with the renaissance and medieval times. Any remaining funds will be used to help cover a large number of medical bills that have been accumulated during a nearly five-year-long fight against cancer.


Your donation, no matter how small, will help Tury's family during this difficult time. While no amount of money can ease losing a child, finances should be his parent's last concern at the moment.
 
Thank you

Donate

Donations 

    Donate

    Organizer

    Phillip Stevens
    Organizer
    Tucson, AZ

    Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

    • Easy

      Donate quickly and easily

    • Powerful

      Send help right to the people and causes you care about

    • Trusted

      Your donation is protected by the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee