Help Zoe Rivera Gain Mobility with a Special Chair

Hey guys, my name is Zoe Rivera. I’ve been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Epithelioid Sarcoma at stage 4 with incurable remissions. I was diagnosed in late 2022, shortly after my 21st birthday. My whole world came crashing down when one day, I was just relaxing when I felt a pain radiating from the right to the left in my lower back. I called my primary care doctor, and she told me to rush to the hospital. One thing led to another, and the next thing I knew, I was fighting for my life. The cancer had gotten aggressive.

While admitted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, I had done a few tests like CTs & MRIs, which showed that I had a tumor in my sacral area and 3 in the right side of my neck. During that time, the doctors decided to treat the sacral area due to that tumor becoming aggressive. I did one large round of proton radiation treatment that lasted about 1 and a half weeks while also receiving oral chemotherapy medication (Tazverik).

During that time, a number of things were going on. Due to the tumor getting bigger and also putting pressure on nerves that run down my legs, it left me bed-bound and needing assistance just to simply get up or a wheelchair to get around. Also, while there, I had a really bad obstruction and couldn’t pass my bowels for 2 weeks. I had lost lots of weight, weighing only 80 lbs, losing sensation in the bottoms of my feet, having to wear braces for both legs and feet, and learning how to walk up/down stairs. As I’m there, I was visited by lots of friends and family, and due to me still being in foster care at the time, I had great people stay with me, such as my life coach Ms. Jessica and my therapist Ms. Joy. As more days go by and the year soon comes to an end, things started to get better, and I was looking at a go-home date before Thanksgiving. And I got my wish. I got to go home before Thanksgiving and spent Thanksgiving out of the hospital, but unfortunately, I was admitted 4 days after being home. My feet/legs were VERY swollen. My primary care doctor told me to rush right back to the hospital due to the possibility of blood clots that can be fatal, so I went back. Luckily, it wasn’t too serious, but I had to stay for another week and a half. Once everything was good, I was discharged. After all that, it basically is now a waiting game and checking to see if the tumor in my sacral area had started to shrink, and it started to at the end of 2022.

2023 UPDATE

Being that they treated the sacral area first because of it becoming aggressive, the tumors in my neck were still growing. In February 2023, I received another 1 long week of targeted proton radiation therapy to the tumors in my neck. Two weeks later, I suffered from a really bad burn due to radiation.

It took very long to heal and hurt really bad. Over the course of 2023, I lost sensation in my right hand. I cannot feel or do things like write my name. (My right hand is my dominant hand.)

February 2024

In the beginning of 2024, I want to say February, I started to have problems in my groin/hip area but didn’t pay much attention until I was in pain when I would walk. The pain became more severe, so I went to check it out. I got news that I have a new problem, which is Avascular Necrosis (AVN), aka deteriorating bones (your bones have a lack of blood supply, so they basically die). I saw an orthopedic doctor and scheduled surgery for April 3rd due to my right hip almost collapsing, so I have a hip replacement of the right, and they are currently monitoring the left hip.

August 2024

So after doing surgery for the right hip, I need to now go for the left because it is following the same path as my right hip, so I’m probably going to have surgery sometime soon. The reason why I’m doing this GoFundMe is to raise money to be able to get a special electric chair due to me having mobility limitations. While I’ve been trying to get one through insurance, I’ve been turned down. Getting this chair will impact my mental health as I have not been mentally well throughout this cancer battle. I hope you find it in your heart to donate any amount or just a prayer & share.

I will keep updating throughout my journey. Thank you all for reading and supporting. I greatly appreciate it.