Jonathan's Fight Against Cancer

Jonathan Amaya just having celebrated his 25th birthday in April of 2017, made the decision to get the pain in his chest he'd been having for a few days checked out at the doctors. The doctors recommended going to the ER, and from there it was determined that Jonathan's pain was from liquid inside of his lungs, that liquid being puss from a tumor on his lung. Jonathan was sent from one hospital to another overnight to have surgery performed right away. One unexpected trip to the doctor's office turned into 47 days as an inpatient at the Winter Park Florida Hospital, diagnosed with acute T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (non-Hodgkin is a broader term.) Before having been admitted into the hopsital, Jonathan had begun picking up the pieces to his life after surviving the Pulse shooting (June 2016) and was working at a restaurant/bar in Downtown Orlando. Having undergone countless surgeries and chemotherapy, Jonathan is on his way to recovery but it will be a long time before he will be able to get back up on his feet and into the real world again. In the time being, he isn't able to work, and his mother Patricia has taken the time off to be his designated caretaker 24/7, and holding the responsibilty to transfer him from her home in Ocala to Orlando for his continuing chemotherapy sessions. Any help financially would be greatly appreciated and would directly go towards medical bills and all expenses that manifest Jonathan's medical needs. 


No one can expect someone dear to them to be diagnosed with cancer, but Jonathan honestly made it seem so easy. His good-hearted personality and positivite attitude made everyone want to be around him and make the trip to visit him. Being in the hospital didn't stop him from being surrounded with friends and family even on Cinco de Mayo.


It was always a delight being around Jonathan during his time at the hopsital, all of his nurses, even the one ones who weren't assigned to be his nurse, and the ones who only met him him in the first week of admission, would go back and visit him just because he'd leave that much of an impact in their hearts. 


Among those who were impacted by Jonathan's positivity was his nurse Megan, who was there from day 1 until the end. She helped all his friends and family understand Jonathan's cancer diagnosis and treatment, and how things will need to be after being discharged. Jonathan's immune system is lower than ours because of his chemotherapy treatment, therefore extra care and caution needs to be taken in order to prevent any bacterial infections or bleeding out. 


Having had endured 47 days in the hospital, countless, surgeries, chemotherapy, and a mental breakdown on his last days before being confirmed to be discharged, Jonathan was able to ring the bell to announce his departure. 


June 17, 2017 was the day after Jonathan was discharged from Winter Park Florida Hospital, and it was also the one year anniverary of the Pulse shooting. Although he couldn't have gone to downtown and commemorate the victims and survivors in Downtown Orlando, he still proudly wears his pride, alongside his angel of  a mother. His mother, Patricia, had to take time off of work in order to be able to commute from her home in Ocala to Winter Park where Jonathan was admitted. She will need to be on leave for a while to come due to accepting the role as his caretaker as well as frequent trips back to the hospital for treatment. Financial support would help his family out immensely and it would mean the world for just any of your help. IT was odd to see a dear friend closed up in a hospital room with different tubes and machines hooked up to him, but the results were marvelous to have seen him walk out with a smile on his face the entire time. A Pulse survivor and a cancer survivor, he is so positive about life, and whether you know Jonathan personally or not, it would mean the world to him and his family for any financial assistance for the remainder of his cancer journey. Big thank you from his friends and family who love him dearly.