Joby & The Fight For His Life Against Cancer

Hi, my name is Nicole, and I am starting this GoFundMe on behalf of some of my dearest friends, The Baeza’s.

This family of 4 has had their entire world turned completely upside down, and we have cancer to thank for that. Those that do not know Joby or Demi, they are genuinely selfless human beings. They are the parents (bonus mom included) of two beautiful boys. Joby is a local business owner and an Army veteran. I cannot fathom the costs of the medical bills they face to fight cancer. Fighting cancer, owning a business, and raising children while not being able to work and provide is not a burden I’d want to carry. 

Joby is one of the few people I know who would give you the shirt off his back. Joby and his family are truly deserving of support while he fights cancer. Medical bills, medical travel, and everyday living expenses as a husband, father, and business owner are something I wish to help alleviate, but I can’t do it alone. He would never ask for help, so I will. Please help ease their minds during the most challenging time of their lives.

In August, Joby started the process with VA after a Medical City Frisco doctor found a mass on his kidney and scapula. In September, Joby was officially diagnosed with “Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma,” and at that time, he was made aware of the possibility of colon cancer after the results of his pre-op labs for his nephrectomy. 

On October 25th, Joby underwent a partial nephrectomy with the VA. His stay and recovery were very hard on him and his family. He received no pain meds for hours, he almost coded, and due to poor communication among his medical team, his drainage tubes were removed by his doctor prematurely. Joby was not even home 24 hours before returning to the ER with a nearly 104° fever and had to be admitted; he was septic and spent the next five days in ICU at Texas Health. Fast forward to the end of the month, and Joby spent five more days in the ICU due to a hematoma.

In November, he was informed that he needed to prepare for a possible bone cancer diagnosis.

As of December, Joby’s health began to rapidly decline, making it impossible for him to work. As a business owner, this wasn’t an easy decision. The VA has continued to leave him and his family in the dark. They have taken months for results and referrals, so the week before Christmas, Joby chose to fight for his life and drive to MD Anderson in Houston. That same week Texas health made him aware of two new masses found on his left kidney AFTER surgery. Halfway through his stay at MD Anderson, the VA finally confirmed “Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.” On top of the official diagnosis, MD Anderson discovered a second lesion in his bone marrow. On December 26th, MD Anderson officially diagnosed Joby with Chondrosarcoma (bone cancer) Grade 2. Bone Cancer is his primary cancer and has now taken precedence over kidney and possibly colon cancer. The road to recovery will be long and treacherous, with no specific or promising outcome.