Joel Mares lives in Mexico City.  His two daughters, Nancy and Selene, and their mother Dalila moved to Canada in 2006.  Late last year, Joel became ill and sought medical attention in Mexico.

While Nancy was visiting her father in March, she was saddened to see the lack of care and attention Joel was receiving.  With no direct family members remaining in Mexico to help, Joel was unable to seek appropriate medical care while taking care of his daily needs.

It was decided to bring Joel to Canada where Nancy, Selene and Dalila could care for him. 



Unfortunately, in April Joel was diagnosed with lung cancer. As a non-resident visitor to Canada, Joel does not have access to our universal healthcare.  Therefore, every visit to the doctor or to access other medical services must be paid by the family.



Joel’s condition has deteriorated rapidly. Going back to Mexico to access healthcare is not feasible.  His lungs need to be drained several times per week and it is expected that he will soon need to move to a hospice as his needs for care increase.

The healthcare costs have and continue to take a toll on the Mares family who do not have an adequate income to cover these costs.  They are spending approximately $300 per week to drain fluid from Joel’s lungs with regular IV treatments that each cost $400.  Each one-hour hospital visit is costing the family $900.

The funds raised through this campaign will be used to pay for Joel's medical care.  We thank you for your kindness for any support to help pay these costs.  As relatively new members of the Calgary community, the Mares family does not have a wide network of friends or family. Please help spread the word.