Recently, Jonathon Bustamante (a.k.a. Johnny) a resident of Corona, was diagnosed for the third time, in a two year time span, with Rhabdomyosarcoma. It's a rare & aggressive form of childhood cancer that attacks the soft tissues of the muscles. It requires intense treatment which includes chemotherapy, radiation and/or surgery.  

A Short Version of Johnny's Journey:
At the end of September 2017, about 10 days after his 17th birthday and a month and a half into his senior year in high school, Johnny was first diagnosed. At that very moment, his and his families life were flipped upside down.  Treatment started immediately.  Johnny had to be put on homeschooling, his mom needed to put her new career on hold, his dad had to maintain a full time + job in Orange County and brother and sister were put on standby not really knowing what the next days would bring.

Johnny was put on an intense treatment plan which consisted of 30+ rounds of chemo, which equaled out to be once a week and some were scheduled 5 days in a row with little to no breaks in between. With that intense treatment, his health declined rapidly. Weight loss, hair loss, the color of his skin, mouth sores, constant vomiting, appetite loss,  stomach issues, raw throat, his body not being able to fight off any illnesses, depression, multiple stays at the hospital... the list goes on and on.  

In the late spring of 2018, Johnny's tumors significantly shrunk and scan results showed that the tumors were gone. During that time, Johnny managed to attend a few of his end of year senior events and walked with his class at graduation. The summer of 2018 came and went, Johnny was enjoying getting back to somewhat of a normal routine & enrolled in a few classes at the local community college. Towards the end of September 2018, he went in for routine scans/tests and they, unfortunately, showed that the cancer had come back. The same treatment plan began immediately, once again. Hearing the news that your son's cancer has returned was absolutely devastating for Johnny's parents and the entire family. Knowing what it had done to his body previously caused high anxiety. 

Fast forward to early summer of 2019, Johnny's tumors were looking like they were destroyed (lack of a better word) from chemo and 20+ rounds of radiation in May. There was about a 90 day waiting period before Johnny could receive a PET Scan due to the high levels of radiation in his body.  Johnny's health significantly changed for the better over the summer. His hair grew back, weight gain, his strength and his overall well being was fantastic. But around August time he noticed, what looked like to be another tumor, growing near the inside of his right elbow.  Scans and tests were scheduled and it was confirmed that the cancer was back and there were 3 new malignant tumors.  Johnny had surgery on November 8th to remove his larger tumors. The surgery was a success. It was intense 4+ hours and consisted of a skin graft, large area of the inside of his elbow being removed, high chance of nerves being damaged and a few nights stay at the hospital.

Jonathon has been receiving treatment and care at Loma Linda Children's Hospital these past 2 years. With the cancer returning 2 different times from the original diagnosis and a very bumpy road with the care he has received at Loma Linda, Johnny (now 19 years old) and his parents have decided to seek a second opinion and a fresh start with a new doctor at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). Jonathon's new treatment starts the second week of December 2019. As of now, treatment will happen once a week with an unknown end date. Johnny and family live about 55 miles away from CHLA. It's a hour and fifteen minute drive with no to little traffic, one way. Travel time could easily double in rush hours.  The original plan was to use the Ronald McDonald House, which houses cancer patients and parents during treatment.  The Bustamante's were wanting to stay there when Johnny was scheduled for back to back appointments and chemo treatments. Being in the car for 2-3 hours  (with traffic) one way, feeling very sick after chemo, isn't something they wanted to put Johnny through on a weekly basis. Turns out that Johnny and his parents are not eligible to use the Ronald McDonald House because he is no longer considered a child. This is a huge bummer. 

As we all know the medicine, emergency room visits, hospital stays, supplements, therapy and all of the countless medical/travel expenses that come with fighting this battle through treatment can add up. We would like to help the Bustamante family in any way possible.

This is one of the many ways we can help show Johnny and his family that they have an endless amount of love and support.

You are not fighting this battle alone. #JOHNNYSTRONG

If you are interested in keeping up with Johnny's journey, there is a Facebook page you can follow.  Click the link below.
https://www.facebook.com/JohnnyBStrong.2017/?epa=SEARCH_BOX


My name is Brittney Sanchez, the organizer of this campaign. The idea of putting together this fundraiser, actually came from a little idea of a coin drive that just ended.  The top question was "Is there a GoFundMe Page?" Participants wanted something they could share on a larger scale and donate directly to the cause.  And so... here we are!
Johnny's mother, Martha, is my best friend. Watching Johnny and the family be on this unpredictable roller coaster ride for these past two years has been an eye opening and life changing experience, for me personally. I have never seen a stronger, tougher or braver young man and family.  Johnny and the Bustamante's mean more than they'll ever know to me. I would trade spots with Johnny in a heartbeat to take away all his pain and anguish, if I had the power to. 
No one deserves what cancer does. Especially children. 
From the bottom of my heart and on the behalf of the Bustamante's, thank you so very much!