Help the Marquez Family Through Cancer

For those of you who know Daniel or have been close to him over the past few months, you’re likely aware of the crippling body pain he’s been battling for more than nine months. Pain that has effectively taken him out of the sport he calls his passion and any other physical extracurriculars. Despite multiple doctor visits, ER trips, and scans, the source of the pain remained a mystery for a long time. It was a heartbreaking period, watching Daniel suffer with no clear answers or end in sight. His parents took it especially hard, having to witness their only son and eldest child endure pain they couldn’t understand, let alone relieve.

Despite all of this, if you know Daniel, you know he has never failed to smile and bring laughter, as if the pain were nothing more than a minor sprain. More than anything, he’s wanted to be back in his community, spending time with others. For those who know him personally, it’s been heartbreaking to watch him unable to participate in the life he loves.

Just last week, on June 16th, Daniel woke up with the same debilitating pain, but this time, he couldn’t hold himself up. His legs wouldn’t respond or support his weight. For the first time in all these months, we saw fear in his eyes. We rushed to the ER, where after a 26-hour wait an MRI was finally performed. By then, his legs had gone cold to the touch.

The MRI revealed multiple masses growing along his spine, including a significant one compressing his spinal cord, causing the paralysis. Emergency surgery followed. The mass was shaved down, and a pair of two-inch rods were installed to decompress his spine and protect his nervous system. Even in the midst of all this, Daniel’s nurses fell in love with his personality and his unfaltering smile.

We now know the masses are the result of Stage 4 Ewing’s Sarcoma. Daniel is currently in bed undergoing chemotherapy, with radiation treatment to follow. He remains in good spirits, and while recovery will be slow, he has regained some movement in his legs—an encouraging sign that his spinal cord is healing. He’s still smiling.

As you can imagine, this has been a living hell for his parents, as it would be for any parent. This fundraiser is simply to provide them with a bit of financial relief, whether it’s for medical bills or the many unexpected costs that arise during times like this. They’ve never asked for anything—only prayers and love—and are unaware of the fundraiser. Since immigrating in 2008, the Marquez family has kept their doors open to anyone in need. Now it’s time for that love to be reciprocated.

Anything you can do is deeply appreciated. Please keep Daniel in your thoughts