Stand with Luis in His Fight Against Cancer

My name is Luis Mata. I’m 21 years old, and I’ve lived in Cody, Wyoming since I was six years old. I’m proud to be a first-generation Hispanic American. I love riding bikes, playing guitar, and learning everything I can about cybersecurity — passions that have helped keep me grounded through some of the toughest times of my life.

In June 2024, I was diagnosed with classic Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

It all started a few months earlier, in February. While attending college at Sheridan College, I began feeling extremely fatigued, nauseous, and had constant night sweats. When I came home, I decided to see a doctor — and that’s when they found a mass in my lung. After a month of trying antibiotics with no improvement, I was admitted to the ER for emergency surgery. Half of my lung was removed, and two of my ribs had to be broken in the process.

Soon after surgery, I started ABVD chemotherapy. During treatment, I had to make some major life changes. I transferred to online school at the University of Advancing Technology (UAT) in Phoenix, Arizona, where I’m majoring in network security. I wasn’t able to work until November 2024, and I had to move back in with my parents. Every two weeks, we traveled to Billings, Montana for my infusions.

Still, I kept fighting to stay active and positive. In the middle of chemo, I was proud to complete a 20-mile bike race in Cody, the Fistful of Dirt. That day reminded me that even in the darkest moments, I could still find strength.

I completed ABVD treatment on January 14, 2025. Unfortunately, during my follow-up PET scan in February, we learned the cancer had returned. This reclassified my diagnosis as primary refractory classic Hodgkin’s lymphoma — one of the most aggressive and rare forms of the disease in the world.

Since then, I have started ICE chemotherapy, which I’ll be finishing next week. The next step in my journey is a stem cell transplant. I will need to travel to a specialized hospital for that — potentially in Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, or elsewhere, depending on availability.

How You Can Help

This fundraiser is to help cover the overwhelming costs that come with this next phase — travel, lodging, medical expenses, and daily living needs during treatment and recovery.

I’m determined to beat this disease and return to the life I’ve been building — a life full of passion, purpose, and love.

Any support you can offer, whether it’s financial, emotional, or simply sharing my story, means the world to me and my family.