Celeste's Fund
Donation protected
My name is Ignacio Perez, & I have created this account for my daughter who suffers from a rare form of brain cancer. The account was made in hopes that we can raise funds to be able to afford any medical expenses & a comfortable life for her during the time she has left with us. & in the words she wrote for a college scholarship, this is her story. Please take the time to read it, donate & share it! Anything helps. Thank you all!
"Ever since I was a child, I’ve always wanted to become an artist like DaVinci, Michelangelo or Picasso. Everything is easier when you’re a child, but as you get older life gets complicated. Now that I’m an adult, I have learned that it is hard to achieve your goals. I wish I could go back in time and live the simple life I had as a child. Back when it felt safe, knowing that nothing bad was going to happen to me. I want to return to my childhood so that I can hide inside my imagination from the cruel reality that lies ahead.
I was only sixteen when I was diagnosed with cancer. When I found out I had a tumor, it felt so unreal. I never thought that I’d be the one to have cancer. I have been around cancer my whole life; in the past both of my grandfathers and my uncle were diagnosed with cancer. I never really understood what cancer was at the time because I was just a little girl, until it happened to me. What kept me going and feeling strong when I was diagnosed was my faith and my family. Without it, I wouldn’t have made it through.
Because of my tumor; I struggled a lot my high school years. It was hard for me to pay attention, to put my thoughts together, and to be able to speak clearly without stuttering, mumbling and mixing my words. The day that I decided to donate blood was the same day that I went to the hospital.
I was diagnosed with a brain tumor called Glioblastoma multiform. I was the third case in the U.S. This type of cancer is rare in female teenagers, it’s not hereditary or contagious; it’s just aggressive. As the days progressed my headaches got worse. I’d throw up all the time, the morphine didn’t work anymore. The pain was so bad that I couldn’t cry, and I’d just scream in pain. After a few days I started having seizures, the doctors decided to do an emergency surgery due to the fact that if I had another seizure I wouldn’t be able to wake up again. The first surgery went really well, the Surgeon was able to remove the tumor without damaging any other part of my brain. After going through radiation and chemo for over a year and having a non-malignant mass removed from my thyroid I was declared cancer free.
As a result of this horrible cancer experience, I want to be the first in my family to graduate from college and to move on to grad school. I want the opportunity to achieve something more than a high school diploma. I want to be able to help and make a difference in the lives of those who aren't as fortunate as me. I want a chance to help make this world a better place. I want to be able to help bring faith to those who are losing or have lost their faith. I want to give hope to those who are ready to give up on life. I want to show them that everything is going to be alright, that their life is worth fighting for. Cancer has made me a stronger and better person. It has helped me become the person I am today. I want to take advantage of this second chance at life." -Celeste
Celeste is now 19 years old & the tumor has not only come back but it has come back in the form of three additional tumors it has basically enrooted throughout her entire brain. This is not something that can be surgically removed anymore, chemo & radiation only help slow the process of its growth but unfortunately it cannot be stopped. We want to make the best of the time she has left with us, but with all the medical costs that we piled up with that ongoing treatments since she was 16 and that are still pilling up it is really difficult for us to be able to do so. We hope that you are able to find it in your hearts to help. God bless.
"Ever since I was a child, I’ve always wanted to become an artist like DaVinci, Michelangelo or Picasso. Everything is easier when you’re a child, but as you get older life gets complicated. Now that I’m an adult, I have learned that it is hard to achieve your goals. I wish I could go back in time and live the simple life I had as a child. Back when it felt safe, knowing that nothing bad was going to happen to me. I want to return to my childhood so that I can hide inside my imagination from the cruel reality that lies ahead.
I was only sixteen when I was diagnosed with cancer. When I found out I had a tumor, it felt so unreal. I never thought that I’d be the one to have cancer. I have been around cancer my whole life; in the past both of my grandfathers and my uncle were diagnosed with cancer. I never really understood what cancer was at the time because I was just a little girl, until it happened to me. What kept me going and feeling strong when I was diagnosed was my faith and my family. Without it, I wouldn’t have made it through.
Because of my tumor; I struggled a lot my high school years. It was hard for me to pay attention, to put my thoughts together, and to be able to speak clearly without stuttering, mumbling and mixing my words. The day that I decided to donate blood was the same day that I went to the hospital.
I was diagnosed with a brain tumor called Glioblastoma multiform. I was the third case in the U.S. This type of cancer is rare in female teenagers, it’s not hereditary or contagious; it’s just aggressive. As the days progressed my headaches got worse. I’d throw up all the time, the morphine didn’t work anymore. The pain was so bad that I couldn’t cry, and I’d just scream in pain. After a few days I started having seizures, the doctors decided to do an emergency surgery due to the fact that if I had another seizure I wouldn’t be able to wake up again. The first surgery went really well, the Surgeon was able to remove the tumor without damaging any other part of my brain. After going through radiation and chemo for over a year and having a non-malignant mass removed from my thyroid I was declared cancer free.
As a result of this horrible cancer experience, I want to be the first in my family to graduate from college and to move on to grad school. I want the opportunity to achieve something more than a high school diploma. I want to be able to help and make a difference in the lives of those who aren't as fortunate as me. I want a chance to help make this world a better place. I want to be able to help bring faith to those who are losing or have lost their faith. I want to give hope to those who are ready to give up on life. I want to show them that everything is going to be alright, that their life is worth fighting for. Cancer has made me a stronger and better person. It has helped me become the person I am today. I want to take advantage of this second chance at life." -Celeste
Celeste is now 19 years old & the tumor has not only come back but it has come back in the form of three additional tumors it has basically enrooted throughout her entire brain. This is not something that can be surgically removed anymore, chemo & radiation only help slow the process of its growth but unfortunately it cannot be stopped. We want to make the best of the time she has left with us, but with all the medical costs that we piled up with that ongoing treatments since she was 16 and that are still pilling up it is really difficult for us to be able to do so. We hope that you are able to find it in your hearts to help. God bless.
Organizer
Ignacio Perez
Organizer
Thousand Oaks, CA