Help Gary's Fight Against Cancer
Donation protected
(Espanol Abajo)
OUR FATHER
Not everyone is as blessed as we are to have grown up with a selfless and loving father who provided them with everything that they needed. He has always been there for us and has often gone without to ensure we never went without. Our childhood was filled with love, laughter, activities, and amazing experiences, and most of these were thanks to him.
Recently our father was diagnosed with epidermoid carcinoma of unknown origin, and all we have wanted ever since we found out is to take away his struggle in any way we can, and to ensure he has everything he needs for a smooth and healthy recovery. Watching our father struggle these past months has been beyond difficult.
Getting to the point we are at right now, after all the testing needed to find the source of his cancer and better understand his condition, and now beginning the treatment has proven to be quite costly and challenging due to the current situation.
THE CANCER JOURNEY
This all started when he realized he had a lump on his neck and thought it was just something muscular. But once it started to grow, he went to see a doctor. At first, they thought it was a gland, but once they realized it was more serious than this, he was sent to see an oncologist.
This led to weeks of tests and medical visits because the oncologist needed to get a biopsy, then various MRIs and CT Scans, Ultrasounds, and an Endoscopy. Finally, a treatment plan was devised, and he was told he had to begin chemotherapy and radiation therapy treatment right away. Chemo has started but he is waiting for space to start 30+ sessions of radiotherapy.
Due to the pandemic, there has been a shortage of cancer medications at the hospital, which lead to them being unavailable when he arrived for his first day of chemo treatment. Since we could not delay and wait for them to receive more supplies, we were lucky to source and be able to buy the chemo medication ourselves and pay upfront for the first cycle of 4 treatments. The next is in 3 weeks. With another 3 weeks later.
THE COSTS
We have been doing the best we can, and we thought that together we could provide enough to cover everything, but we have reached the point where we realize that this is no longer realistic. Being in Mexico, he does not have the medical assistance or insurance like he used to in Canada. Since he has been gone for so long, he is no longer covered for Medicare in Canada either. So up until now, even though he has qualified for the Mexican Social Security system, tests and treatment have been mostly out of pocket so he can get the treatment he needs without waiting.
On top of this, he moved to a new city in Mexico only a couple of years ago and we started a new business which is still in the start-up stages. Just as the business was finally starting to break even, the pandemic started. As with any new business, there is very little extra cash or funds available.
To cover all these expenses, we have often had to use credit making us go further into debt to cover all these medical costs which are not close to being finished. We have been lucky that the business has still been able to bring in revenue, but only to cover most of the daily expenses.
His treatment is only getting started and we still have a long road ahead of us in his recovery and treatment and we want to make sure he has all that he needs and deserves to be able to fight this and come out on top! We really wanted to tackle it alone and thought that we could manage, but we have reached a point where we need help. For any of you who has had the pleasure of knowing our dad, you know he is not only a great father, but also a great person with such a positive attitude and he never lets life’s hardship or stress get him down. Even through all of this, he still manages to make us laugh every single day and have such a positive attitude about everything.
OUR GRATITUDE
We appreciate all your support and help during this hard time and we ask, if there is any way that you are able to help him out financially, even if it’s just a small amount, it would mean the world to all of us. Please help us in giving back to our strong and amazing dad, and ensuring he gets the best medical treatment needed. We know he can beat this, and with your help we can make sure he has the support he needs to get all medical treatment necessary.
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AYUDÉMOS A GARY EN SU LUCHA CONTRA EL CÁNCER
Sobre Papá
No todos tienen la fortuna y bendición de tener un padre como el nuestro, tan amoroso, dedicado, y responsable. Él siempre ha estado ahÍ para nosotros, anteponiendo siempre nuestras necesidades a las suyas. Papá, ha sido un pilar en nuestras vidas, y a quien debemos una vida colmada de amor, risas y experiencias increíbles.
Hace unos meses, a nuestro héroe le detectaron un carcinoma epidermoide de origen desconocido. Desde entonces, Papá ha dado la cara a esta batalla con gran valentía, y nosotros, nos hemos dispuesto a brindarle todo lo que requiera para lograr una pronta recuperación.
Sin embargo, hemos llegado al punto en el que nos hemos dado cuenta que no podemos solos. Esta es una batalla que requiere mucha fortalza emocional y espiritual, pero también de solvencia económica para cubrir los gastos del tratamiento, que ante la situación actual, se vuelve una situación aún más desafiante.
El viaje del cáncer
En marzo, papá se dio cuenta de que tenía un bulto en el cuello, que en su momento creyó que era la inflmación de un músculo. Sin embargo, empezó a notar que este empezó a crecer, por lo que decidió visitar al médico. En un principió, el médico creyó que era una glándula inflamada, sin embargo, empezó a sospechar que era algo más grave, por lo que recomendó la revisión de un oncólogo.
Por recomendación del oncólogo, se realizó diversos estudios: resonancias magnéticas, tomografías, ultrasonidos y una endoscopia. Los resultdos fueron contundentes: Cáncer. El médico indicó iniciar el tratamiento de maner inmediata, sin embargo, nos enfrentamos a la escasez de medicamentos, y la limitada capacidad de atención del sistema de salud público, debido a la contingencia por COVID-19.
Como el tiempo es clave para el éxito del tratamiento, decidimos no esperar más, y buscamos hasta encontrar los medicamentos de quimioterapia recomendados, y pagamos por adelantado el primer ciclo de cuatro tratamientos, al que debe seguirle el segundo en tres semanas, y así consecutivamente hasta concluir los cuatro. Respecto a la radioterapia, seguimos en lista de espera para realizarse más de 30 sesiones.
Los costos
Afortunadamente, papá está afiliado al Seguro Social, y ha sido una gran ayuda para cubrir parte de la atención médica y medicamentos que requiere dentro del tratamiento. Sin embargo, el IMSS está pasando por una situción sumamente compleja debido a la pandemia de Covid-19, por lo que la mayor parte de los gastos de estudios y medicamentos, hemos tenido que cubrirlos nosotros.
Nosotros dependemos de nuestra pastelería, que ha sufrido los estragos de la contingencia, como casi todos los negocios familares del país. Afortunadamente, aunque en menor cantidad, seguimos teniendo ingresos para subsistir, pero no es suficiente para cubrir los gastos generados hasta ahora, y los que faltan. Por ello, hemos recurrido a al crédito, que nos ha ayudado a resolver lo urgente, pero no es una solución definitiva, y tiene un límite
Esta batalla esta apenas empezando, y nos queda aún un largo camino por delante. Nosotros seguiremos haciendo todo lo que este en nuestras manos para resolver los requerimientos del tratamiento. Sin embargo, tenemos claro que esta es una batalla que no podemos librar solos. Por eso, decidimos abrir los canales de ayuda, para todos quienes deseen y puedan sumarse a nosotros en esta batalla por la vida.
Nuestra gratitud
Nos sentimos sumamente agradecidos con todos aquellos familiares, amigos y vecinos que han estado tan al pendiente de papá. No cabe duda que la solidaridad es uno de los valores más entrañables de los seres humanos.
Hoy queremos hacer un llamado a tu generosidad, para garantizar el tratamiento médico que le permitirá a papá salir victorioso de esta dura batalla. No hay ayuda pequeña, así que, si esta en tus manos apoyarnos de alguna manera, será un apoyo invaluable.
Papá es un hombre sumamente fuerte, no solo físicamente, sino emocionalmente. Es un hombre que siempre se ha caracterizado por su actitud positiva, que no se doblega ante ningun situación. Él ponra todo de si para salir de esto, y todos nosotros, juntos, podemos darle todas las herramientas que requiere para ello.
OUR FATHER
Not everyone is as blessed as we are to have grown up with a selfless and loving father who provided them with everything that they needed. He has always been there for us and has often gone without to ensure we never went without. Our childhood was filled with love, laughter, activities, and amazing experiences, and most of these were thanks to him.
Recently our father was diagnosed with epidermoid carcinoma of unknown origin, and all we have wanted ever since we found out is to take away his struggle in any way we can, and to ensure he has everything he needs for a smooth and healthy recovery. Watching our father struggle these past months has been beyond difficult.
Getting to the point we are at right now, after all the testing needed to find the source of his cancer and better understand his condition, and now beginning the treatment has proven to be quite costly and challenging due to the current situation.
THE CANCER JOURNEY
This all started when he realized he had a lump on his neck and thought it was just something muscular. But once it started to grow, he went to see a doctor. At first, they thought it was a gland, but once they realized it was more serious than this, he was sent to see an oncologist.
This led to weeks of tests and medical visits because the oncologist needed to get a biopsy, then various MRIs and CT Scans, Ultrasounds, and an Endoscopy. Finally, a treatment plan was devised, and he was told he had to begin chemotherapy and radiation therapy treatment right away. Chemo has started but he is waiting for space to start 30+ sessions of radiotherapy.
Due to the pandemic, there has been a shortage of cancer medications at the hospital, which lead to them being unavailable when he arrived for his first day of chemo treatment. Since we could not delay and wait for them to receive more supplies, we were lucky to source and be able to buy the chemo medication ourselves and pay upfront for the first cycle of 4 treatments. The next is in 3 weeks. With another 3 weeks later.
THE COSTS
We have been doing the best we can, and we thought that together we could provide enough to cover everything, but we have reached the point where we realize that this is no longer realistic. Being in Mexico, he does not have the medical assistance or insurance like he used to in Canada. Since he has been gone for so long, he is no longer covered for Medicare in Canada either. So up until now, even though he has qualified for the Mexican Social Security system, tests and treatment have been mostly out of pocket so he can get the treatment he needs without waiting.
On top of this, he moved to a new city in Mexico only a couple of years ago and we started a new business which is still in the start-up stages. Just as the business was finally starting to break even, the pandemic started. As with any new business, there is very little extra cash or funds available.
To cover all these expenses, we have often had to use credit making us go further into debt to cover all these medical costs which are not close to being finished. We have been lucky that the business has still been able to bring in revenue, but only to cover most of the daily expenses.
His treatment is only getting started and we still have a long road ahead of us in his recovery and treatment and we want to make sure he has all that he needs and deserves to be able to fight this and come out on top! We really wanted to tackle it alone and thought that we could manage, but we have reached a point where we need help. For any of you who has had the pleasure of knowing our dad, you know he is not only a great father, but also a great person with such a positive attitude and he never lets life’s hardship or stress get him down. Even through all of this, he still manages to make us laugh every single day and have such a positive attitude about everything.
OUR GRATITUDE
We appreciate all your support and help during this hard time and we ask, if there is any way that you are able to help him out financially, even if it’s just a small amount, it would mean the world to all of us. Please help us in giving back to our strong and amazing dad, and ensuring he gets the best medical treatment needed. We know he can beat this, and with your help we can make sure he has the support he needs to get all medical treatment necessary.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AYUDÉMOS A GARY EN SU LUCHA CONTRA EL CÁNCER
Sobre Papá
No todos tienen la fortuna y bendición de tener un padre como el nuestro, tan amoroso, dedicado, y responsable. Él siempre ha estado ahÍ para nosotros, anteponiendo siempre nuestras necesidades a las suyas. Papá, ha sido un pilar en nuestras vidas, y a quien debemos una vida colmada de amor, risas y experiencias increíbles.
Hace unos meses, a nuestro héroe le detectaron un carcinoma epidermoide de origen desconocido. Desde entonces, Papá ha dado la cara a esta batalla con gran valentía, y nosotros, nos hemos dispuesto a brindarle todo lo que requiera para lograr una pronta recuperación.
Sin embargo, hemos llegado al punto en el que nos hemos dado cuenta que no podemos solos. Esta es una batalla que requiere mucha fortalza emocional y espiritual, pero también de solvencia económica para cubrir los gastos del tratamiento, que ante la situación actual, se vuelve una situación aún más desafiante.
El viaje del cáncer
En marzo, papá se dio cuenta de que tenía un bulto en el cuello, que en su momento creyó que era la inflmación de un músculo. Sin embargo, empezó a notar que este empezó a crecer, por lo que decidió visitar al médico. En un principió, el médico creyó que era una glándula inflamada, sin embargo, empezó a sospechar que era algo más grave, por lo que recomendó la revisión de un oncólogo.
Por recomendación del oncólogo, se realizó diversos estudios: resonancias magnéticas, tomografías, ultrasonidos y una endoscopia. Los resultdos fueron contundentes: Cáncer. El médico indicó iniciar el tratamiento de maner inmediata, sin embargo, nos enfrentamos a la escasez de medicamentos, y la limitada capacidad de atención del sistema de salud público, debido a la contingencia por COVID-19.
Como el tiempo es clave para el éxito del tratamiento, decidimos no esperar más, y buscamos hasta encontrar los medicamentos de quimioterapia recomendados, y pagamos por adelantado el primer ciclo de cuatro tratamientos, al que debe seguirle el segundo en tres semanas, y así consecutivamente hasta concluir los cuatro. Respecto a la radioterapia, seguimos en lista de espera para realizarse más de 30 sesiones.
Los costos
Afortunadamente, papá está afiliado al Seguro Social, y ha sido una gran ayuda para cubrir parte de la atención médica y medicamentos que requiere dentro del tratamiento. Sin embargo, el IMSS está pasando por una situción sumamente compleja debido a la pandemia de Covid-19, por lo que la mayor parte de los gastos de estudios y medicamentos, hemos tenido que cubrirlos nosotros.
Nosotros dependemos de nuestra pastelería, que ha sufrido los estragos de la contingencia, como casi todos los negocios familares del país. Afortunadamente, aunque en menor cantidad, seguimos teniendo ingresos para subsistir, pero no es suficiente para cubrir los gastos generados hasta ahora, y los que faltan. Por ello, hemos recurrido a al crédito, que nos ha ayudado a resolver lo urgente, pero no es una solución definitiva, y tiene un límite
Esta batalla esta apenas empezando, y nos queda aún un largo camino por delante. Nosotros seguiremos haciendo todo lo que este en nuestras manos para resolver los requerimientos del tratamiento. Sin embargo, tenemos claro que esta es una batalla que no podemos librar solos. Por eso, decidimos abrir los canales de ayuda, para todos quienes deseen y puedan sumarse a nosotros en esta batalla por la vida.
Nuestra gratitud
Nos sentimos sumamente agradecidos con todos aquellos familiares, amigos y vecinos que han estado tan al pendiente de papá. No cabe duda que la solidaridad es uno de los valores más entrañables de los seres humanos.
Hoy queremos hacer un llamado a tu generosidad, para garantizar el tratamiento médico que le permitirá a papá salir victorioso de esta dura batalla. No hay ayuda pequeña, así que, si esta en tus manos apoyarnos de alguna manera, será un apoyo invaluable.
Papá es un hombre sumamente fuerte, no solo físicamente, sino emocionalmente. Es un hombre que siempre se ha caracterizado por su actitud positiva, que no se doblega ante ningun situación. Él ponra todo de si para salir de esto, y todos nosotros, juntos, podemos darle todas las herramientas que requiere para ello.
Organizer
Megan Ness
Organizer
Lasalle, QC