A Miracle For Martina: Her Fight Against Cancer

A little over a year ago, my mother Martina was diagnosed with stage four cancer, more specifically GIST (Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor.) A rare cancer, my mother’s mutation is an even rarer subset of GIST, affecting approximately 400 individuals in the U.S. yearly. Unbeknownst to my mother, this cancer had been likely growing for 5 years prior to diagnosis. In the summer of 2021 my mother went to donate blood, something she had been doing throughout the pandemic. That visit however, she found herself surprisingly turned away as the phlebotomists told her she was severely anemic and therefore unable to donate blood. In the months following she underwent multiple tests and follow up visits with doctors to determine the cause of the anemia. The night of November 1st, what my family believed was merely a standard doctor’s visit instead became the day that our lives were forever changed. Around 6 pm I received a phone call from my mother where she disclosed that they had discovered tumors in her stomach lining and liver. When asked how many she could only quote her doctor stating “there were too many to count.”

Since then my mother has undergone 13 rounds of different chemotherapies, multiple iron and blood transfusions, and participated in two clinical trials. Her liver has grown to almost 37 cm in size in contrast to the average adult female (7 cm). Her search for a treatment has taken her to six different states, visiting numerous specialists from a range of medical approaches. She has been her own biggest advocate, dedicating countless hours into researching both traditional and complementary approaches.

This past December my mother was laid-off. As a single mother raising three teenagers, battling cancer and unemployed, she needs support now more than ever. With no cure what my mother truly needs is time. Time with her family. Time spent waiting for the development of new treatment options. Time spent praying for a miracle.

The once unwavering assumption that my mother would watch my siblings graduate high school, meet her grandchildren, and grow old alongside us has begun to falter. A future in which my siblings and I have our mother is no longer certain. In donating to my mother’s cause you are not only supporting her efforts in fighting this disease but granting her the ability to spend more time with her children; because in my mother’s world, time is currency, and she is running out.

Despite her circumstances, my mother persists amidst one of life’s cruelest battles, facing each day with optimism. She continues to impact the lives of those around her, teaching us all to embrace life’s challenges with humility and grace. Her unwavering strength and determination to beat the incurable has inspired countless individuals. She serves as a living testimony that you are not your sickness; you are not your prognosis.

The money raised for my mother will go towards medical expenses, non-traditional treatment methods, and medical travel that are not covered by insurance. As we continue to support my mother in her fight against cancer, her hope in a miracle is resolute. She is an anomaly, not only as a patient but as a human being. She continues to treat each family meal, walk with our dog, and round of Scrabble, as a treat, inhaling the moments and storing them up for a future where she is unable to be present.

She often tells me how her cancer in some ways has been a blessing as it has taught her to prioritize the simple things in her life. Whether that be her listening to a Grateful Dead song she hadn’t heard in decades or working on jigsaw puzzles at a dining room table that hasn’t hosted a meal in years, it simply means being more present for each and every day. We crossed a number of things off her bucket list in 2022, and with your support, 2023 will be another year rich in making memories with our mother. We gratefully acknowledge your support, whether it be monetary or in the form of prayers and positive energy sent her way. Blessings to all.