Help Erika Fight Cancer

Anyone who knows me knows that I never go to the doctor unless I absolutely have to and on January 17th, 2023, I had to. Over-the-counter medication wasn’t helping my pain and so I admitted defeat and limped to the nearest clinic. The doctor didn’t take the time to look at my leg and instead, told me to rest before attempting to send me away. Deep down, I knew that something wasn’t right and begged the doctor for an X-ray. He begrudgingly agreed, but told me that I was fine. I admitted defeat once more and went home.

Almost a month later, I was still in pain and decided to meet with an orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion. He showed me nothing but kindness and ultimately saved my life. After undergoing multiple tests, having various scans, meeting with different specialists and recovering from two biopsies, I finally had an answer.

On March 30th, 2023, my world stopped. I was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), a fast-growing, aggressive type of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Thankfully, it is stage I and localized. My team of doctors hope that with six cycles of chemotherapy and radiation, I will be able to kick cancer’s ass!

My name is Erika Torres and I’m from New York City. Currently, I’m a full-time student pursuing my master’s degree in social work. In addition to my schooling, I’m an intern and work part-time as a tutor. I’m also a single mom (to a four-legged furry friend). As you can tell, I have a lot on my plate and my diagnosis has done nothing but complicate my life. Getting diagnosed with cancer at 22 years old wasn’t on my bucket list, but here I am!

While I have a strong support system consisting of family and friends, my parents are unable to help me as much as they’d like to financially. My mom is a homemaker who cannot work because of her lifelong disability, Spina Bifida and my father already works as much as he can while still making time to take me to my appointments and care for my dog.

I have already spent hundreds of dollars on my care, and with a long and hard fight ahead of me, the last thing that I’d like to worry about is the cost of my treatment. From the bottom of my heart, I’m humbly asking that you share my story with others and if possible, please donate to my cause so that I’m able to focus on my health and hopefully my recovery.

If you’d prefer to donate through Venmo or PayPal, they will be listed below.

Venmo: erikalynntorres

Paypal: erikalynn804

Thank you in advance and please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.