Help Sylvia's Fight Against Cancer

Rita Valencia is a beloved sixty-five year-old server at the Bon Appetit Cafe at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Her daughter, Sylvia Pera, a lifetime resident of Santa Fe, is a forty-five year-old mother of two, and grandmother of one. When Sylvia was twenty-two she was diagnosed with lupus, fibromyalgia, and anxiety. When she had her daughter at twenty-four she became a stay at home mother due to her health conditions.

Despite these impediments and her being denied disability by the state of New Mexico, Sylvia continued to care for her family and take work when she was able. Up until recently she provided child care for her seven-year-old grandson.

Recently, Sylvia has been diagnosed with stage-four throat cancer. She needs to receive chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The first round will go for seven weeks, with chemotherapy weekly and radiation once per day each weekday. The hospital cannot tell her how much this will cost overall. Sylvia needs a custom fitted mask for her radiation treatments which will cost $11,000. One of her prescriptions costs $500 per month.

Her mother, Rita, is sixty-five and working full time to support herself and her disabled husband, who had a heart attack last year. She is at her limit already and is asking the community for help. We love Rita and how she cares for students at IAIA. We know her love to be immeasurable.

In her own words: "I am worried about losing her. I already lost one daughter and I don't want to lose another. She is in so much pain. She hurts to talk, to eat, to swallow. There are times she chokes on her food. It hurts for her to drink water. I want to tell people who help, thank you, and God bless you for helping my family."

Sylvia is a young Christian woman who is dedicated to her family, and loves baseball, camping, and fishing. Her favorite color is purple. She loves oldies, western, and spanish music. Her favorite family activities include throwing family parties and gatherings to celebrate her relatives. We believe that with the proper care, she could continue to care for her children and grandchild, as well as be the cherished daughter of her mother, Rita.