Surgery and Recovery Fund

FUNDRAISING GOAL: $25,000

MANNY

For the many that know Manny, you’re already aware that he is a light in a dark room. He strives to bring joy to all around him and is never one to bring or see anyone else down. He is a loving, caring, intelligent, fun, and supportive individual who would drop anything to be there for those in need—loved ones and strangers alike. He’s lived a life filled with both moments of joy and deep sorrow. Yet, amidst the highs and lows, what you find when you’re with Manny is a beautiful being that lives in gratitude for all the experiences that have shaped his perspective and led to healing and opportunities for growth and love. Today we’re calling on the community to lift him up with support as he — with support from his love, family and close friends — embarks on facing one of his toughest challenges yet — the removal of a benign brain tumor.

DIAGNOSIS BACKGROUND

As background, 2021 was a year of many blessings for Manny, but also deep challenges. For months, Manny had been experiencing physical discomfort inclusive of facial tingling, numbness, headaches, tinnitus, eye pain and other uncomfortable symptoms. He embarked on a journey to figure out what was happening that included research, medical visits and spiritual reflection. On Oct. 17, 2021, the underlying cause was discovered to be a 3.3cm in length brain tumor called a trigeminal schwannoma at the base of his skull, pressing on his trigeminal nerve and brainstem. At this moment, all reports indicate the tumor to be benign.

While the root cause of his discomfort has thankfully been identified, emotionally, this has been a struggle. Initially, after meeting with several doctors to understand the diagnosis and treatment options — it was determined that the need for surgery or radiation was not immediate; so, Manny sought as many non-invasive, natural supports as possible to try and get the tumor to shrink. However, this course of treatment has been unsuccessful as a new MRI in early Feb. 2022 showed significant growth of the tumor by 2 cm. The most effective and best path forward will be a craniotomy through the left side of Manny’s skull to remove the tumor - a surgery that is scheduled for March 22, 2022.

With a clear path forward also comes additional challenges such as navigating a 5-hour surgery, 3-nights in a hospital post-op, and 6-8 weeks of recovery and follow-up visits in a health system that is pretty inequitable. To add to this, Manny is a contract worker, which means he will not be able to access paid leave.

YOUR SUPPORT

With this, we are humbly calling on our community for support: spiritually, physically & financially.

First, we ask that you pray for Manny that his surgery goes smoothly and his recovery is seamless. Visualizing Manny fully recovered and in good health is appreciated as we seek positive energy in this journey.