On Friday, August 8th, my mom went to the ER for vision problems and vomiting. When they conducted an X-ray, they found a mass on her right lung. She was immediately admitted to the hospital.

The next day, August 9th, was her birthday. Instead of celebrating at home surrounded by her children and grandchildren, she spent the day in a hospital bed, facing the hardest battle of her life. On August 12th, the doctors diagnosed her with both lung and brain cancer. We don’t yet know the stage or type, but the doctors have told us she needs to start chemotherapy and radiation immediately. I will share updates as soon as we have more details. We are still here in the hospital today, waiting on more results.

Unfortunately, my mom does not have a Social Security number and has no health insurance. While we are trying to get her on private insurance, most companies are denying coverage because of her legal status. The few that will accept her are extremely expensive—thousands of dollars per month—and even then, coverage wouldn’t begin until January. The doctors have made it clear—she will not survive that long without treatment.

The cost of chemotherapy and radiation is far beyond our reach. Even $1 can make a difference in helping us start her treatments as soon as possible.

My mom is the heart of our family—she has 5 children, 13 grandchildren, and 2 more on the way. We still need her here with us.

Please help us give her a fighting chance. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your love, prayers, and support.

El viernes 8 de agosto, mi mamá fue a urgencias por problemas de visión y vómitos. Al hacerle una radiografía, detectaron una masa en el pulmón derecho. Fue ingresada de inmediato en el hospital. Al día siguiente, 9 de agosto, era su cumpleaños. En lugar de celebrarlo en casa rodeada de sus hijos y nietos, pasó el día en una cama de hospital, enfrentando la batalla más difícil de su vida. El 12 de agosto, los médicos le diagnosticaron cáncer de pulmón y de cerebro. Aún desconocemos el estadio ni el tipo, pero nos han dicho que necesita comenzar quimioterapia y radioterapia de inmediato. Les informaré en cuanto tengamos más detalles. Seguimos aquí en el hospital, esperando más resultados. Desafortunadamente, mi mamá no tiene número de Seguro Social ni seguro médico. Mientras intentamos conseguirle un seguro privado, la mayoría de las compañías le niegan la cobertura debido a su situación legal. Las pocas que la aceptan son extremadamente caras (miles de dólares al mes) e incluso así, la cobertura no comenzaría hasta enero. Los médicos lo han dejado claro: no sobrevivirá tanto tiempo sin tratamiento. El costo de la quimioterapia y la radioterapia está fuera de nuestro alcance. Incluso un dólar puede marcar la diferencia para ayudarnos a comenzar sus tratamientos lo antes posible. Mi madre es el corazón de nuestra familia: tiene 5 hijos, 13 nietos y 2 más en camino. Aún la necesitamos aquí con nosotros.

Por favor, ayúdenos a darle una oportunidad para luchar. Desde lo más profundo de nuestro corazón, gracias por su amor, oraciones y apoyo.

Update 8/17/2024:

This week we received more heartbreaking news — the doctors found bone cancer. We are now waiting for the biopsy results, which should come at the beginning of this week, to learn what stage it is and the exact type of cancer we are facing.

In the middle of all this, we were able to give her a very special moment — we got her married. Not only was it a beautiful celebration of love and hope, but we are also praying it helps her qualify for the insurance special enrollment.

We are so grateful for all of your prayers, love, and support. We still have a long road ahead and need much more help to cover her growing medical expenses. Every donation, share, and kind word means the world to us. ❤️