Support Celina's Fight Against Cancer

I am writing this on behalf of my daughter, Celina Olguin. She just turned 30 years old in February and is one of the strongest women I know. She is willing to put up a fight against anything, including this cruel cancer that she is battling. Celina isn’t a girl who likes being the center of attention, so we are appealing to all of you out there on her behalf.

Celina is a mom of three to her stepson Wacey (12), Weston (7), and her baby boy Brooks who just turned one. She is the wife to Waylon Olguin. The couple will share their ten-year anniversary this upcoming year. Both Waylon and Celina work for Salt River Project & are members of IBEW Local 266. Waylon is in his home stretch of finishing his apprenticeship to become a lineman. Unfortunately they are having to take leave and time off to care for Celina during her recovery.

We wish to raise funds for Celina to continue treatment and care at the Mayo Clinic. Being that Mayo Clinic is a world-renowned hospital, it is costly and her medical bills are quickly increasing.

These funds will also help the family cover some of the cost of transportation to and from the hospital, and Celina's upcoming bills for her second surgery in December.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a minute out of your day to read my daughter’s story below, and if you are able to help in anyway, however big or small we will be forever grateful - thank you in advance!

Celina's Story..

In 2021 Celina started to go to her PCP because her right leg (where the cancer/tumor was found) would go completely numb - making her nervous to walk. She then started to get sensations that warm liquid was running down her right leg. Her PCP decided scans were not necessary and overall ruled it as low iron.

A year went by and Celina still had the same numbness and sensations but they were intensifying. She went back to her doctor and nothing was found. Celina then decided to get a second opinion and they agreed with her PCP.

Fast forward to January of 2024, Celina decided to get a third opinion and switch to a PCP in her hometown, Casa Grande. Blood work did not show any indications. In March a large lump appeared on the back of Celina's right thigh. In April the same doctor ordered scans to identify the lump.

Once transferred to Mayo Clinic in May, the cancer was confirmed as Myxoid Liposarcoma - a rare cancer that grows in the cells that store fat in the body.

With the mass increasing in size, treatment was a top priority. By the time treatment started, the mass was the size of a football on the back of her thigh. It was also integrated in her sciatic nerve which was painful when the mass would push on nerves (sometimes causing her not to drive or walk). Thankfully Mayo started radiation treatments in July and by mid August she successfully completed treatment. Radiation did not decrease the length of the tumor but it did "deflate" it. Instead of being blown up like a football, it was almost the width of a large pancake.

The last two weeks of August were spent getting cleared for surgery. Celina not only had daily appointments, scans, and lab work for two months - but she also had to change their lifestyle around to prepare for post surgery. Two of these major decisions included putting their youngest back in daycare with Ms. Kimmie and Weston going to a microschool (Celina was previously homeschooling him).

Celina's Orthopedic and Plastic Surgery team carefully explained that the surgery would take at most 8 hours being that the tumor was in the sciatic nerve. They couldn't guarantee foot/leg function being that they were cutting into the nerve. Celina and her family hoped for the best outcome.

On September 9th Celina had her surgery. She was the first one in for surgery at 8:08 am and the last one out at 11:12 pm. After a total of 15 hours in surgery, Celina started to recover in the hospital. Unfortunately she woke up with additional incisions because the cancer was deeper in her sciatic nerve than they expected - which caused a need to have muscle and tissue to be transferred to fill her thigh. A skin graft was also preformed. Celina now has an incision in her back (where the muscle was taken), and an incision from the back of her knee up to her hip.

While Celina was in the hospital, she begged PT to let her try to walk. Her doctors were sure it would take weeks, maybe even months to be able to walk. After approval from her surgeon, PT allowed her to try after multiple strength tests. With her walker, she was able to walk around the recovery floor. Truly a miracle after having most of the nerve in her thigh replaced!

Now home and recovering, Celina has PT and OT throughout the week, along with follow ups with her surgeons. Celina can walk, but she cannot move her knee, bend, or lift her foot at all. The nerve is essentially damaged and will need to heal allowing Celina to be able to accomplish simple tasks like kneeling down or getting off of the ground. The goal is for her to be healed by December to be approved for a second surgery late December or January to finish repairing her hamstring muscles while fixing the skin graft. If all goes well in December or January, this will conclude surgery for Celina.

Upon Celina becoming cancer free (fingers crossed in January), she will be required to do routine scans and labs. The first few years she will have to do this every other month, because Myxoid Liposarcoma often spreads to the lungs and can become aggressive.

Due to the nature of both surgeries, she will be out of work for an extended period of time. Any donations will help with her and Waylon with medical bills and living expenses while she is recovering.

With deep gratitude we thank you for taking the time to read my daughter's story battling cancer.