You can be part of something wonderful #SOSLuisa

When someone you love suffers, your heart cries. We are a family doing everything possible to help our Luisa. Help us to give her the possibility to beat cancer. 
 
She’s 31 and suffers a very rare cancer.  
 
- Patient: Luisa Salazar  
- D.O.B.:  August, 6th del 1988 (31)  
- Location: Cali, Colombia  
- 1st positive diagnosis: November 7th, 2018  
- New positive diagnosis: January 14th, 2020  
- Type of Cancer Carcinoma Triple-negative metastatic Her2 + chemotherapy-resistant   
- Stage: 4  
- Medical exams are valued in cost of: COL $55´000.000 / US$16,000.00  
- Treatment need is valued in cost of: COL $45´000.000 / US$13,000.00 
 
How can you help?  
- Do you know someone inside the oncology world? In Colombia doctors are not sure what they are facing. We are looking for answers and options.  
- Help us sharing this LINK you never know who else could have a lifesaver answer.  
- Money... we just don't have all the money needed to cover all the medical exams and treatment she needs. Cancer is time-sensitive... and her insurance which is the Colombian EPS public health coverage does not cover everything and there are huge waiting lists before she can get approved. And we not only need to beat cancer, but we also need to beat time.  
 
In her own words, this is her story...  
 
“Hello, I am Luisa Salazar, I am a single mom of two wonderful kids, I am 31 and I have Cancer.  
People ask me if I fear.... what can I say...? My kids are only 2 and 6 years old, they are the biggest blessing in my life, and the idea of not being there for them is frightening. 

Even more, if you add that the doctors that are helping me to fight cancer, are not very sure what they are facing... They have noticed that this cancer my body suffers, is a type of cancer that has a very rare reaction. It is chemo-resistant its development is fast.... faster than the cancers we are used to hearing... while regular cancers develop in months or even years, Mine develops within days or even hours... One day I have no tumors, next week I have one that is 3cm already... a month after is 9.5cm (this is the size of the new tumor they found on my left underarm). 
 
I want to share my story... Because I need help. I am a brave mom, I am a brave woman, I have gone in life trough things and I´ve been able to stand up and continue. But this time I do need help... 

At a very young age, I always characterized myself as a warrior, self-conscious, but full of emptiness and fears. When I was two years old, my biological father was a victim of a very violent act. Because of that horrifying act, my young mother had to make many sacrifices and work hard to give me a good education.  

As time went by, my mother met the person I now call “father” he loves me as his own and he gave me everything I humbly needed. From this marriage my two younger brothers we’re born and we love each other! 
I am now 31 years old and have two beautiful young children which I call “My blessings, My guardian angels”. Maria Antonia is 6 years old she’s sweet loving and very intelligent, my son is 2 years old he is the light of my eyes he’s calm and brilliant.  

All this cancer journey started in November of 2018, a year that was a life changer...  with a lot of pain and disappointment, but It was also the year in where I learned how strong I am... 

At the beginning of the year when my son was only 2 months of being born, I found the father of my kids being unfaithful, for that reason we ended things in the worst way. With insults, hate and a lot of resentment. I stayed alone with my kids and I had no time to cry or even let all my emotions off my heart, I had to be strong for my kids and move forward.  

I began to worry about all the economical debts and expenses the father of my kids left behind. As time went by, I started with a financial crisis in which I had no other choice but to move around and ended up staying in an affordable apartment in a location not very safe of recommendable place in Cali, Colombia. 

I felt vulnerable, sad and overwhelmed, I had spent months of waking up very early and a lot of hard work. A month went by to be more exact in June my beloved grandfather passed away from a stroke. My grandfather was one of the loves of my life he was a father to me, we were inseparable and loved each other immensely.  

Once again, I had no time to grieve his death, because I always wanted my kids to see me as a strong warrior. Two months after the passing of my grandfather I was a victim of fraud and my car was stolen this act added so much more stress to me since I had no way of transportation to be able to attend work.   

Towards the end of the year when I thought nothing else could get worse in the month of November, I received the most fearful news ever... I was detected with breast cancer Carcinoma Triple-negative metastatic Her2 + chemotherapy-resistant, stage 4... You can only imagine the fear and devastating feeling I felt and still feel right this moment.  

Since then I have been through 16 chemotherapies, mastectomy with ganglions, 15 radiotherapies and 6 months of oral chemotherapy.  

These have been extremely difficult times for me, I have felt alone and in pain feeling very sick, and very worried because day by day it gets harder for me to support my kids financially. Adding up to all I've shared, The medical insurance company I am with, for many years it has been filed for bankruptcy and my treatments have been delayed... Therefore many of my treatments have been out of pocket...  

At the beginning of this present year, 2020, I received news that I have Ganglia on my left arm. Doctors are concerned because they tell me this cancer is the type that has a very rare reaction. Its development is fast! It develops within days or even hours!  

They’ve also told me this type of cancer is characterized and is very rare. No one in Colombia has been found with this type of cancer, that’s why I am on Medical board we are waiting to see which treatment is the right one for me. They say it’s very hard to cure me... I need answers, I want to look for other options outside my country... Here, they’ve been doing is treating me to expand my life years, but my case is very complex and delicate... 

At this point, I can’t thank you enough for at least taking on consideration to help me in any way... I have faith, I am strong and I will fight until God gives me the opportunity to do it.”