Help Steve Lozoya Fight Multiple Myeloma

If you’ve ever strolled through a Northern California art market, chances are you’ve met Steve Lozoya—in his colorful booth, always ready with a smile, a laugh, and art that radiates his vibrant spirit. Steve is more than an artist; he’s a friend to everyone he meets. Many also remember him from his years in the corporate world, or from his service as a U.S. Army veteran. Wherever Steve goes, he builds lasting connections.

In 2009, Steve walked away from the corporate grind to start something different—Plan B—a fun, funky, eclectic art business that finally let him be a dad for real. After 20 years of missing school mornings, clay projects, and carpools, he made the change because family mattered. And he never looked back.

Today, Steve is most proud of being a husband to his wife Cheri—a lifelong kindergarten teacher of over 30 years—dad to Marli, Mateo, and Mia, and of course, dog-dad to Lola, the family’s loyal glue. Both Steve and Cheri have spent their lives giving back to others—Steve through service, art, friendship, and community, Cheri through shaping young lives in the classroom. Asking for help doesn’t come naturally to them. But with the rapid growth and spread of Steve’s cancer, there aren’t many options left.

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The Diagnosis

Recently, Steve was diagnosed with Stage III Multiple Myeloma, a rare and incurable blood cancer that has already spread into his spine, ribs, kidneys, and bladder.

He has just finished his first round of radiation treatments. Normally, radiation is done after chemotherapy, but the tumor was so aggressive that doctors had to reverse the usual order and start with radiation immediately. It bought him some time, but it also made clear how urgent and serious this fight will be.

This is only the beginning of a long, grueling journey that will include chemotherapy, countless scans and labs, and likely a stem cell transplant. The treatments are brutal—they buy time, sometimes improve quality of life, but leave Steve exhausted, in pain, and unable to work.

True to form, Steve didn’t let this stop him from showing up at the Capitola Art & Wine Festival—just days into treatment. But the reality is clear: he can’t keep up with the demanding art market schedule that has supported his family for years. Missing even a handful of shows means a major financial hit on top of mounting medical bills.

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The Blunt Truth

Every day brings labs. Some months bring scans, chemo, or transplant. At least one hospitalization this year is almost certain—whether from infection, kidney crisis, or bone damage.

Insurance battles are constant, draining energy with delays, denials, and endless resubmissions.

Cheri shoulders the weight of caregiving on top of her classroom, and caregiver burnout is real—her health matters too.

Mental health valleys are predictable: holidays, transplant milestones, scans, anniversaries.

This year will wear the Lozoyas down physically, emotionally, and financially. The goal isn’t comfort—it’s survival and control. Their first major bill hit just as Steve finished radiation treatment: a bone and tumor biopsy, $4,765 out of pocket. And that’s only the beginning.

Steve’s personal objective is to turn this fight into something greater: if he can one day use his story to help another father, another veteran, another patient walking this same road—then maybe all this pain carves a path toward something meaningful. That hope keeps him moving forward.

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Why We’re Asking for Help

This disease is not just a medical fight—it’s a financial one. As an artist, Steve doesn’t have a corporate safety net, disability fund, or paid sick leave. The business he built with Plan B was built on passion and community, not guaranteed security.

· **Our fundraising goal is $50,000**

Here’s where it will go:

- **Medical Expenses Not Covered by Insurance — $20,000**

Prescriptions (~$800–$1,200/month), radiation/chemo co-pays, specialist visits, scans, and hospital fees. Palliative supplies like mobility aids and home care add thousands more.

- **Travel & Lodging for Treatments — $10,000**

Gas, parking, meals, and occasional lodging near treatment centers (~$200–$300 per treatment week; $150/night for overnight stays).

- **Lost Income & Household Bills — $15,000**

Steve’s art shows are their main income source. Missing just one weekend show means at least $3,000 lost. With months of shows off the table, heading into the busiest season, mortgage, utilities, and groceries don’t pause.

- **Mental Health & Supportive Care — $5,000**

Therapy, nutrition, stress relief care, and integrative treatments that help Steve stay strong through the fight.

*Every week that passes without support makes it harder to cover treatments, household bills, and essential care.*

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What Your Gift Covers

- $100 = a week of prescriptions

- $250 = travel and meals for a treatment week

- $500 = a month of utilities and groceries

- $3,000 = replaces a weekend of lost show income

- $2,500 = covers a round of specialized scans and labs

- $5,000 = provides an emergency cushion for a hospital stay

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Steve’s Personal Hope

“This cancer will take a lot from me, but not my will to turn it into something greater. If I can one day use my story to help another father, another veteran, another patient walking this same road—then maybe all this pain carves a path toward something meaningful. That hope keeps me moving forward.”

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How You Can Help

1. **Donate if you can.** Every dollar goes directly toward medical and family survival costs.

2. **Share this campaign** with veteran groups, law enforcement networks, art communities, schools, churches, or local media.

3. **Connect us** with organizations that help veterans, educators, or artists in crisis.

Every contribution—big or small—makes a difference. If you can’t donate, please share this campaign.

For decades, Steve and Cheri have given to their community—now they need the community’s help to keep fighting.

— **Steve Lozoya**

Husband | Father | Friend | Army Veteran | Artist