Hi everyone,

I'm making this GoFundMe for my mom, Maria. Her family and friends know her as Juana.

It's taken me a long time to find the words to explain what has been going on with my mom.

If you've had the chance to meet my mom, Juana, you know how special she is, not just to her family but to her friends and community. She has always been the heart of our home. My two siblings and I talked to her every single day. We'd call, text, laugh, and just talk about life. Family has always meant everything to her. She loves her kids, grandkids, and my dad more than anything. They've been together since they were teenagers and have been happily married for 41 years.

She is always in a good mood. Always happy. Always smiling. Her love language is food, and she's an amazing cook. Mom has an entire pantry full of homemade salsa, canned vegetables, and jam she made with fresh ingredients from the garden that she and my dad love so much. She’s a big kid at heart, has the best sense of humor, and is always trying to brighten up our day.

We love our mama so much.

This last winter, she had been experiencing severe headaches, which the local clinic insisted were migraines or possibly vertigo. Still, after months of different medications, her symptoms only seemed to persist and grow worse. At the urging of myself and a family friend, who happens to be a nurse, we finally went to the ER for a CT scan.

That day changed our lives.

The scan revealed a tumor blocking the normal flow of spinal fluid through her brain. It was severe enough that within a few short hours, she was airlifted from Eastern Washington to UW Medical Center for emergency brain surgery, where they were able to remove most of the tumor, but radiation is still going to be needed.

I don't think any of us were prepared for what recovery would look like, or for the additional cancer they found in her remaining kidney. We had already been through kidney cancer about ten years ago, when her left kidney was removed. That's when we received the heartbreaking news that Mom's cancer was Stage IV. It's been incredibly hard watching her go through all of this, but she continues to fight every single day.

Once she was stable after the brain surgery, she began inpatient rehabilitation making amazing progress. She was eating orally again, talking more clearly, and even took her first few steps. We could see the battle ahead, but the daily improvements gave us hope. Then she started having seizures, drastically setting back her progress and recovery.

Mom was transferred back to acute care until they were able to get the seizures under control. Because of the physical setback brought on by these seizures, she no longer qualified for the inpatient rehabilitation at UW. Our family had been with Mom around the clock, taking turns staying with her so she was never alone, making sure she felt safe and as comfortable as possible.

With recovery progressing so slowly, the next recommendation was a skilled nursing home, but it was clear to the family that without our continued involvement in her care she would not feel safe. She spent a little over two months at UW Medical Center, and we had been with Mom every single day. The idea of suddenly not being able to be there with her didn't sit right with any of us, so we decided to bring her home.

Shortly before we were discharged from the hospital, we got the news that the main water line at my parents' house had burst. It flooded the basement and caused significant water damage.

The silver lining in all of this came from our longtime family friends, the Crowleys. They generously opened their home to us while repairs were being made to my parents' house. We are incredibly lucky to have amazing friends who also happen to be our neighbors.

Right now, we're waiting for her home therapies to begin, waiting for radiation to start, and preparing for the many appointments still ahead.

This has been the hardest year of our family's life. Watching our mom lose all of her independence overnight has been emotionally crushing. At the same time, we are incredibly thankful she is still here with us, and we celebrate every bit of progress she makes.

Asking for help isn't something that comes naturally to our family. We've always been the type to figure things out on our own. But this has been bigger than anything we could have prepared for, and so many of you have asked how you can help.

If you're able to donate, every contribution will go toward making my parents' home safe for Mom's recovery, replacing the damaged water line, medical expenses, travel to treatments and appointments, medical supplies, and the many unexpected expenses that have come with all of this.

If donating isn't possible, sharing this fundraiser or simply keeping our family in your thoughts means just as much.

To everyone who has checked in, prayed for our mom, brought over food, donated, or reminded us that we're not going through this alone, thank you.

Your love and support have helped our family through some incredibly difficult days.

Mom still has a long road ahead, but if there's one thing we've learned over these last few months, it's how strong and how brave she is. We celebrate every little victory, and we'll continue to be by her side every step of the way.

Thank you for believing in her, believing in our family, and giving us hope.

With love,

The Garcia Rodriguez Family