Hi everyone. I am fundraising for an incredibly brave young man I have had the pleasure to assist. Below is his story.  He lost his battle with Osteosarcoma. Thanks to all of you, he made it home to see his mom. Now, the family needs help to bury him.

Ezequia Sotelo I call him Stockton guy. I also call him brave, strong, and resilient. This young man arrived at the border at the age of 17, where he was separated from his cousin, who traveled with him. He turned 18 in detention, was reunited with his cousin and made his way to Miami, Florida, where his aunt was awaiting their arrival. Florida did not offer him what he was looking for, an opportunity to fulfill every immigrant’’s dream, the opportunity to make enough money to live and send home. Full of hope, he moved to California. Soon after arriving in Stockton California, his dreams began to fade, fading with every painful step he took. . Doctors suspected something more than growing pains was causing his troubles and sent him to UC Davis Medical Center, where they finally diagnosed him with Cancer. OsteoSarcoma. A treatment plan was developed and attempted. Cancer continued showing its ugly markers, spreading through his leg. No amount of chemotherapy or radiation would kill it, thus the need to discuss a below the knee amputation. How was he ever going to be able to work with an amputation? His team went into the surgery, planning for a rotationplasty surgery that was not possible. The cancer had spread further than they thought. His leg was amputated at the upper thigh. The evening of his amputation, I called his dad, who had come from Nicaragua to take care of him, asking about his son, and offering him a super burrito dinner. When I hung up with dad, Stockton Guy called me via video, saying that he wanted a burrito too. With the support of my amazing NorCal friends, we were able to feed him and dad every night they were in the hospital following the amputation. Now, what happened next is completely unfair. The cancer that took his leg spread to his lungs. And, as rare as it is, given this happens in 1 to 8% of folks, the cancer has now metastasized to his brain. I started his asylum application at the cancer center, didn’t finish because he was hooked up to IVs of chemotherapy, but two weeks after his amputation, he came to see me, signed his asylum documents, drove to SanFrancisco to take them to the court, all before the next round of chemotherapy. This last Friday, he called me, still very positive, to tell me that doctors have decided to stop all treatment. Stockton guy’s attitude? Positive, hopeful, dreaming of a new life Despite the nausea, every time he comes to our office, we laugh together, hang out, and I listen to his new dreams, never fading. Now, he wants to go home to Nicaragua to be with his mom. He says he doesn’t want to die away from home. Help us get him home! F Cancer!!!