Help Cheryll Fight Stage 4 Cancer

*EDIT: Link to MealTrain for another way to support my mom: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/mvl58l*

Well, here we are. Cancer has arrived at my family's doorstep and my beloved mother, Cheryll Hidalgo. I am her daughter Kelly, and I am creating this fundraiser for her for what I know is going to be a very expensive treatment to bring her back to health.

On April 28th, 2025 Cheryll went to urgent care for what she thought might have been a minor stroke. The left side of her head and face hurt and her vision was seriously impaired. After 12 hours in urgent care, a CT scan and an emergency MRI revealed not a stroke, but a massive tumor in her sinuses. Like an octopus this tumor has tendrils curling into multiple sinus cavities. It is pushing up against the carotid artery, and has eroded the sphenoid bone - the barrier between the sinuses and the brain - leading to possible brain fluid leakage. Now, after two more weeks and a biopsy, PET scan, and more tests and bloodwork, we have a final diagnosis of stage 4 sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma. Very unfortunately, these features make this particular tumor inoperable, and because the tumor is inoperable, the targeted and systemic treatments will need to be aggressive in order to kill this thing. Though it is stage 4, our doctors say this is not only treatable but it is curable with quick intervention. My mom is likely looking at a long and difficult road to be free from this cancer.

There is plenty to be worried about now, and money needs to not be one of those things. My mom's focus needs to be totally on herself and her recovery. Her insurance out of pocket maximum is a 5-digit number, and there will be many other costs, like paying for a second opinion herself, and getting potentially better targeted radiation therapy not offered by her current health care provider, elsewhere. There are also all those unanticipated costs that come up when dealing with something as serious as this, like all the office visit co-pays, and expensive tests. She has already been approached by her health care provider warning her of the impending costs. “Just a heads up”, they say.

Cheryll is a strong, determined woman whose whole life has been dedicated to pushing down barriers and helping others. As a high school media teacher it was her great talent and calling to encourage students to follow their inspiration when making films and other media. Instead of teaching them a formula they had to follow to make a film, she would nurture their own instincts and creativity to create something that was real and true for them as they also developed their technical skills. Her approach to filmmaking earned her international recognition, and she traveled by invitation to many countries with her students to share their work and also share her methods with other media educators. Since retirement she continues to hold film workshops for kids and spends time taking care of family - her brother, her grandchildren, and me. She wants nothing more in the world than to help other people, and now it's our turn to help her. I am asking for your support in my mom’s treatment and recovery. And she will recover! She is one tough cookie. But she should not be left in poverty over this. Any contributions will make a world of difference for our family. And if you can't donate, please share her story. I know there are many of her former students and their parents out there who would want to help if they knew about this.