My Mom's Breast Cancer Journey

Dear Friends, Family, and Kind Strangers,

My name is Angie, and I’m a high school senior from New York City’s Lower East Side. Right now, I’m balancing school, work, and college applications, all while facing one of the hardest challenges my family has ever known.

For months, I hesitated to start this fundraiser. Every time I brought it up, my mom, Iris, would reassure me, saying she had everything under control. She’s always been the strongest person I know—doing everything she can to take care of me. But after everything she’s been through this past year, I now understand that it’s okay to ask for help.

Last July, she was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, and from that moment, our lives changed completely.

I lost my dad when I was six years old, and since then, my mom has been my rock—the one person who has always been there for me. Now, I want to be there for her in the same way.

She underwent emergency surgery that lasted nearly nine hours, with multiple surgeons working together to remove the cancer. While insurance covered a significant portion of the surgery, her recovery was long and difficult. Twice, her wounds wouldn’t heal properly, delaying her ability to start chemotherapy.

Chemo has been brutal. It has caused her severe pain, vision loss, dizziness, and exhaustion. After her first infusion, she was in so much pain that we had to rush her to urgent care, and even morphine couldn’t bring relief. It took over 24 hours and a team of doctors, to finally help her rest. She still has three more infusions to go before she begins daily radiation treatments for a month.

Despite everything, she keeps working while undergoing treatment so that we can stay afloat. Insurance helps, but medical bills, medications, and special dietary needs are piling up quickly. We’ve exhausted our emergency savings, and now we have very little left to fall back on.

We are incredibly grateful for the love and support from our family, friends, and community. From our church members who continue to pray for her, to her colleagues and her boss, who have been so generous and understanding, to our extended family who have done everything they can to help—we are truly blessed.

A special thank you to my Aunt Nayla, who has always been like a second mom to me, my Uncle Joe, whose ribs are the best in the world, and my cousin Meli, who gave me one of my favorite memories, getting me my first concert ticket to see my favorite singer. Your love and support mean everything to us, and I am forever grateful.

I also want to thank my Uncle JR, who lives overseas but has always been there, helping me with my schoolwork, brainstorming ideas, and encouraging me every step of the way. Thank you, Tío, for always being there.

I’m doing everything I can to help. In December, I started training as a hostess at a restaurant, but I’m still waiting for my first paycheck and final schedule. Since I don’t know how many hours I’ll get, I’ve decided to apply at other restaurants this weekend, hoping to find an opening that allows me to work part-time while staying focused on school. But even with a job, it’s just not enough to cover everything.

I take my education seriously because I know it’s the key to a better future for both of us. I am an honor roll student and plan to major in political science before becoming a lawyer. More than anything, I want my mom to see me graduate and be proud of everything I’ve worked for.

To take care of myself, I pray, eat well, exercise almost daily, read, and volunteer. Now that I know cancer runs in my family, I’m even more aware of how important it is to stay healthy and strong—not just for myself, but for my mom.

That’s why I finally decided to start this fundraiser.

If you’re able to donate—even a little—it would mean so much to us. Your support will help with:

✅ Medical co-pays and treatment expenses

✅ Medications and special dietary needs

✅ Everyday living expenses while my mom recovers

And if you can’t donate, just sharing this fundraiser would help tremendously.

I’m also including some photos of our journey so you can see a little more of what this past year has been like for us.

Sending love, light, and blessings to everyone. I hope that one day, a cure is found for this painful disease.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading and for any support you can give.