Help Luis Fight Cancer

My Dad, Luis Mera, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in April, 2023. I’m asking for your help so he can fight cancer. If you’d like to follow along with us in his journey against cancer you can read the latest at the Tico News blog.

In the past few weeks, I have learned a lot about pancreatic cancer, chemotherapy, clinical trials, and FDA approval. I’m no oncologist, but I can tell you that pancreatic cancer is one of the most challenging cancers to target. It surrounds itself with high jacked immune cells so that your immune system can’t find the cancer and it adapts quickly to treatments that try to fight it.

It’s hard to know what the future looks like. My parents are making a bet on new tech to help reduce the pain and tumor size that is available in Colombia along with the same chemo that he would receive in the US. By our estimates, the best case scenario would have my dad receiving HIFU treatment (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) and chemotherapy in Colombia.

Medicare doesn’t cover medical treatment in Colombia, so all of their costs will be out of pocket. We will also be traveling to care and spend quality time with my parents and family out there so we’re looking at some heavy costs coming up.

Please help us ease the financial burden ahead so we can focus more on Luis fighting cancer.

My Dad has been a father figure to kids beyond his children. A teacher to many beyond his students. A mentor beyond his mentees. If you’ve met my Dad, you know there’s no one quite like him.

We’ll know more about how things may shake out in a few months, but for now, here’s how I came up with an estimated cost:

My parents’ costs to get medical treatment in Colombia:

Last minute flight for Mom & Dad from Houston to Colombia: $1800

HIFU $4000 x 3 sessions = $12k

chemo x12 rounds $1k = $12k

wheelchair ~ $250

Medications out of pocket per month for 6 months $60 x 6 = $300

Palliative care out of pocket per month for 6 months $900 x 6 = $5,400

Transportation to/from hospitals per month for 6 months $50 x 6 = $300

My parent’s TOTAL: $32,110

Me, my partner, and Luis's only grandkid's travel to Colombia:

RT SFO to Bogota $2,500.00 for 3 for 2 weeks to caretake and visit in June

RT SFO to Bogota $2,500.00 for 2 weeks august or september for the three of us $2,500.00

Mera-Baker’s TOTAL: $5,000

Dani’s travel:

Dani is currently in Las Cruces, taking care of the sale of my parent’s house and wrapping up any monetary and legal matters. We think Dani will likely fly out to be with my parents and return at least once to take care of Dani’s lawyer stuff (Dani’s a cool lawyer!). And then stay with my parents.

Las Cruces to Houston $400

RT Houston to Bogota $1,000

Houston to Bogota one-way $500

Dani’s TOTAL: $1,900.00

GRAND TOTAL: $39,010