Lize Chavez Medical Fund

Lize Chavez is 19 years old. She’s a straight “A” student, has a refreshing passion for life, is proud of her active and health-conscious lifestyle, and she purposefully and intentionally excels at everything she does.

She also has an exceedingly rare medical condition which happens to be one of the most incredibly-aggressive forms of cancer documented, called Small-Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Cervical Cancer.


This GoFundMe campaign’s mission is to share the story of her passion for life with as many people as possible so that she can raise the medical funds necessary to treat and beat this hideous illness.

Rewind. I met Lize abruptly in 2003 when she was only 5 years old (pictured below on left). She had caught me chatting up her mother at church, and she wasn't about to have any of it. She decided to introduce herself by running up and punching me right in the family jewels (and rightfully so). Right then and there, I knew she was a fighter.



Fast-forward. We have been a family now for 14 years. Two weeks ago, on January 25th, 2018, our entire family was blindsided and turned upside-down when Lize was unexpectedly diagnosed with Small-Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Cervical Cancer (NEC, SCCC).


Unlike the most commom types of Cervical Cancer, SCCC is not thought to be linked to HPV or it’s vaccine, and is different than the three types of Cervical Cancer most may be familiar with (adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma).

For every 100 females diagnosed with Cervical Cancer, only about 2% of those diagnosed have Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Small-Cell Cervical Cancer. This disease is so rare, in fact, that very few studies on it exist, even when compared to other types of Cervical Cancer. Fewer still are the availibility of clinical trials for SCCC due to the lack of candidates for studies. It is unknown what causes SCCC, but it is thought to possibly be genetic, in part. And while a multi-modal approach to treatment is reccomended, it is also widely unknown which treatments are most effective.


Currently, the standard medical protocol in the treatment of early stage SCCC – even for girls Lize’s age - is a radical hysterectomy, followed by as many doses of radiation and chemotherapy as it takes.  Without immediate treatment, this cancer is highly prone to aggressive spreading, particularly to the lymph nodes and surrounding organs. To state it mildly, Lize needs help immediately.

Lize attends AAEC High School (Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center), while concurrently attending Paradise Valley Community College. She is on track to graduate in May of this year with both a high school diploma and an Associate degree.


She belongs to numerous honors societies, including Phi Theta Kappa, National Honors Society and the Paradise Valley Community College Honors program. Lize was recently accepted to ASU (Arizona State University), NAU (Northern Arizona University), GCU (Grand Canyon University), and has received several scholarship offers.

Lize spends a lot of her spare time working. She works during after-school hours at Freedom Academy as a 'Homework Club' teacher where her young K-4th grade students adore her. When she isn’t in class, studying or working, she is often volunteering.

She enjoys helping with activities and causes such as wild animal rescue, childhood literacy, teen mothers, LGBT, and the special needs population. Lize has been involved with the following organizations: Horses Help, PV Young Lives, Arizona Hemophilia Association, Festival of Tales, Market on the Move, Wild at Heart, Girl Scouts of America, Special Olympics, and Desperado Film Festival.


Lize is a brave, exceptionally bright, mature, happy, responsible, creative, competitive, caring, funny, productive, driven, ambitious and promising member of society. It is her now-deferred dream to eventually join the United States Coast Guard. She enjoys hiking, drawing, reading, fashion, exercise and Netflix. She resides in Phoenix, Arizona, has two younger sisters and a giant, ferocious Rottweiler named Heisenberg.

Your kind consideration and contributions are most sincerely appreciated. Thank you so very much for sharing Lize's campaign with others.