Help My Dad Fight Cancer

Hi, my name is Rita Estephan, and I am the daughter of Edgard Estephan. In January of this year, my dad was diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), a rare, aggressive, and lethal type of thyroid cancer.

He had an extensive surgery to remove the cancer from his neck followed by six weeks of intense chemo and external beam radiation therapy to his neck, which ended in April. Six weeks later, he got a PET scan done which showed that the disease was completely cleared from his neck, but that there were a few spots on his lungs.

Recently, the tumors on his lungs grew significantly despite the chemotherapy he had started. Because of the progression of his cancer and the symptoms he is having, he is unable to go to work. My mom also recently stopped working in order to stay home and help care for my dad.

His oncologist is recommending he enroll in a clinical trial as his last chance. We originally wanted to go to MD Anderson since we live in Houston, but they would not take my dad in because the insurance we have is not accepted by them. The only other option my dad has is a clinical trial in San Antonio, three hours away from where we live.

Because both my parents are not currently working, paying for medical expenses and travel costs is extremely difficult. Any donations will be used to cover the costs of food, travel, medication, and treatment. We would deeply appreciate any help.

My dad is the strongest person I know, and he continues to fight with every bit of strength he has in him. If I could describe him in one word, it would be “fighter” because he always faces every single thing life throws at him head on, with an incredible amount of courage and faith. Despite his exhaustion and pain, he still tries to make everyone around him laugh with his snarky jokes and funny stories. Words can’t describe how much we love him. This whole year has been extremely difficult for everyone in my family, and we would be so deeply grateful for any assistance during this time.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

-The Estephan Family

UPDATE 9/12/2023:

Dad was called to heaven last night at Memorial Hermann hospital. Thank you to all the people who have supported us during this difficult time; your help has been much appreciated. We kindly ask for any donations to help with funeral costs, paying off medical bills, an accumulation of debt related to the matter, and helping our family get back on our feet after this extremely difficult time. He was the primary breadwinner in the household, and because of this, every penny is appreciated. Though he is no longer physically here and was unable to express his gratitude, we know that he would have been deeply touched by all of the support and help people are showing him and our family.