Hello everyone! As many of my family and friends may know, my mother, Lacey Castro, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer near the beginning of 2025. This is her second battle with cancer, and she has taken it in stride after beating it the first time with another major surgery. Since then, we have had many doctor's appointments, specialist appointments; she has been poked, prodded, and scanned more times than I can personally count and still does not have a concise diagnosis for the second nodule on her thyroid. They were able to identify the front nodule as Papillary Thyroid cancer, and the second nodule behind that is still of unknown typing. We pray for the best, but with her imminent surgery this October, we are hoping nothing has spread or has a high recurrence rate.

Your thyroid produces hormones that control many body functions and is essentially located on your throat as a shield shape. With her two nodules, this means they will be opening her throat up on both sides, and she will have to take daily medication for hormone regulation after the surgery.

This surgery is major; she will be out of work for anywhere from 3-6 months and will have a hard time speaking due to the paralysis of her vocal cords that is needed during surgery. Though she is working up until the very last days before surgery, it is still going to take a toll financially.

If you know my mom, you know how much she loves to talk, and we are all praying and hoping for a speedy recovery. But the cost of being sick in this country can almost be a life sentence in itself, and with her inability to work or speak, I am hoping this GoFundMe will be able to relieve some of the financial pressure of the cost of her treatments (as surgery may not be curative and she may end up needing chemo/radiation after), as well as household expenses such as utility bills, groceries, and the cost of raising a 16-year-old.

I have never known my mom to say no to anyone who needs help. I have personally witnessed her giving her last dollars to someone who said they would not be able to feed themselves that night. I have never seen a year where she has not done the Angel Tree at Christmas. She has always helped anyone with everything she can, so it is my hope that her family and friends will show her the same generosity and kindness that she has shown to them over the years.

So please, if you can, donate. If you have nothing to spare, pray.