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“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. “—Philippians 2:3-10
Hafa Adai yan Tirow Everyone,
As anyone who may know Rose Marie Delos Reyes Ruben (aka Chai) she is selfless, compassionate, and kind-hearted. She has devoted her life to her family and has always lent a helping hand to anyone who needed it despite her personal struggles.
In December 2019, Rose noticed a lump by her right molar. The following month, she visited a dentist and a tooth was extracted. A couple weeks later, the extraction site hadn’t healed properly; it was still slightly swollen, the lump hadn’t disappeared and granulation tissue was reappearing. Concerned, Rose immediately went back to see her doctor the following month.
She was then referred to an otolaryngologist (ENT) who performed several biopsies to rule out the possibility of cancer. Rose was put under anesthesia for the last biopsy since it required deeper extraction of tissue by her jaw bone.
While Rose was recovering from this painful experience, she and her family waited anxiously for the biopsy results. During the wait, her mother fell ill and was hospitalized. Her grandmother suffered from an accidental injury in addition to showing signs of early onset dementia. Rose had been a caregiver for her grandmother along with her siblings and at the time, recently became her mother’s caretaker as well. The totality of the circumstances became almost too hard to cope with in addition to her pending biopsy results.
Rose soon got a call from her doctor and confirmed one of her worst fears: she was diagnosed with Stage II Oral Cancer. In April 2020, her primary care and ENT doctors planned an invasive surgery to remove tooth gums and several swollen lymph nodes in her neck. The surgery took 10 hours and thankfully, was a successful one.
In July 2020, she was scheduled for radiation and chemotherapy which usually lasts several months in Guam. While undergoing therapy on Guam, Rose received devastating news that her mother had passed in Saipan. Through it all, she gathered what she had left inside to continue her fight to beat cancer.
In September 2020, Rose came home in hopes of returning to some form of normalcy after the loss of her mother and having just been through radiation and chemotherapy in Guam. She was then scheduled to see an ENT doctor on a trimonthly basis to monitor the cancer.
In October 2021, Rose informed her doctor of odd sensations in her mouth and thus, another biopsy was performed. Her doctor soon informed her that the cancer had returned. Despite feeling a whirlwind of emotions, she chose not to feel defeated and was determined to fight cancer once again.
Rose has been referred to Los Angeles, CA to receive treatment. Her medical paperwork is being processed and departure date is pending.
Through trying times for everyone, we humbly ask for your kind donation of any amount. The funds raised from this campaign will go directly to covering any medical and unexpected expenses. If you are unable to contribute financially, we wholeheartedly ask that you keep Rose and her family in your prayers and to share this campaign.
Thank you, Si Yu’us Ma’ase, Olomwaay, and God Bless.
❤️ #HelpRoseFightCancer
Withdrawal Plan:
*Due to GoFundMe withdrawal restrictions, my brother Kody (who resides in the US mainland) will be the primary beneficiary listed for this campaign. With full authorization from Chai, Kody will be responsible for transferring all funds into Chai’s Saipan-based bank account.