My name is Jorge. I'm writing this in memory of my mom, who passed away on July 13th, 2026. My mom came from Cuba when she was four years old. She worked as an electrocardiologist at Mercy Hospital in Miami for almost 40 years. She loved that place. Everyone there knew her, and if you worked with her, you knew how friendly and helpful she was. Right as she was approaching retirement, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She started treatment immediately, did it for a year, had a mastectomy, and beat it. She rang the bell at Cleveland Clinic to let everyone know she was cancer free. We were ecstatic. The following year, she was getting up for work one morning and realized she was having trouble texting. She started crying because she thought she was having a stroke. We took her straight to Cleveland Clinic. The scans showed us news we couldn't believe: the cancer was back, and it was everywhere. Brain, lungs, liver, spine. Two tumors in her brain. The doctors told us it would take two brain surgeries, and that they couldn't guarantee she would survive them. We said our goodbyes and prayed together before each one. She made it through both. A few weeks later she was walking and talking like normal. She decided to keep fighting with chemo, and she was certain about it. All we prayed for was one more Christmas with her. We got it. On July 13th, at 6:12 in the morning, my mom passed away, surrounded by family.

Just weeks before mom passed, we had to lay her beloved dog Chichi to rest because she was becoming ill. It felt like a foreshadowing of what was coming. Losing her while also losing our mom — there are no words. A lot of people have asked how they can help. My dad recently retired, and the funeral, cremation, and the treatments her insurance didn't cover have all landed on him. If you'd like to support our family, this is a way to do it. And if you can't, your prayers and your memories of her mean just as much to us. Thank you for loving her with us.