In Loving Memory of Arya: Support for Oscar and Ajay

In Loving Memory of Arya – Support for Oscar and Ajay

My dear friend Arya Villegas passed away on July 26th after a courageous two-year battle with cancer. She leaves behind her loving husband, Oscar, and their six-year-old son, Ajay, who now face an unimaginable future without her.

Arya never quit, never complained, and never lost hope.

I met Arya when she began chemotherapy. Around that time, she received a successful bone marrow transplant. We were overjoyed, thinking the worst was behind her. She returned to work, played with Ajay, and enjoyed life without the weight of chemo. But just a month later, we received the devastating news: the cancer had returned.

Still, Arya never quit, never complained, and never lost hope.

With limited options, Arya and her family moved to Texas to participate in a cancer research trial. The move was costly and stressful, and heartbreakingly, the trial was unsuccessful.

Yet again, Arya never quit, never complained, and never lost hope.

Back in Iowa, Arya was admitted to the University hospital. The new plan was to get her strong enough for another transplant. After weeks of battling fevers, she finally recovered enough to go home for a weekend—to sleep in her own bed, play with Ajay, and be surrounded by family. That weekend, filled with love and laughter, would be her last outside the hospital.

Arya never quit, never complained, and never lost hope.

Arya was one of the most compassionate, selfless, and honest people I’ve ever known. Even in her hardest moments, she always asked how you were doing. Her strength and kindness were unmatched.

The financial toll of Arya’s illness was immense. The move to Texas, years of hospital bills, and the loss of her income placed a heavy burden on her family. Arya once confided in me that her greatest fear was that she had “wasted” her family’s money on her treatments.

I’m asking anyone reading this to please help support Oscar and Ajay. Your donation will help ease their financial burden and ensure Ajay has the bright future Arya dreamed of for him.