Help Regina Rivera

All our loved ones, 

This is something both incredibly difficult and surreal to write!  Regina is typically the giver, the helper rather than the ask for help sort  but unfortunately the last month or so has shifted this and she finds herself in a place which requires her to be vulnerable and to ask for help for once. 

For those who know Regina and have the pleasure to call her your friend or loved one you'll know her as a goofy, loyal, kind and caring woman with a heart big enough to love a whole nation. She puts on a tough façade, and is known to most as quite the tough cookie; she's a badass but she needs our help. This is something she can't battle on her own, even though if she had it her way she would. After many conversations a group of us have convinced her that this is a great way to take some of the pressure off her current situation. 

The past month has been a rollercoaster ride, and not the fun kind. Regina took ill with some abdominal pain and visited the emergency room at the end of May were she was transferred to a neighboring hospital, they diagnosed her with a UTI and sent her on her merry way. A week later she visited the emergency room again with the same issues and was treated for a ruptured cyst. I (her wife) travelled to the US to support her and help with any follow up appointments. Visits to different specialists came back with no new information, however Regina's condition wasn't improving. Fast forward to June 16th, Regina was admitted to hospital with the same issues and was told she had cancer. They had found ascites in her stomach and began a series of tests looking for malignant cells/tissue. Regina was scheduled for a pelvic scan and ended up having to have major surgery. Still the issues remain and there has been no explanation on what, where and how all of this is happened to my wife. Nothing is ruled out fully, in fact they even suspect it could be an infectious disease. One thing is for certain this isn't an easy or uncomplicated fix and medical bills are piling up. 

Unfortunately Regina doesn't have medical insurance and the basic costs of the hospital visit will be roughly in the region of $8,500, not to mention the additional costs of the specialist, scans, tests and surgery to date. We don't know when this will be over or even when she will be released from hospital. The hospital have been helpful in applying for financial aid but there is likely to be a lump sum needing to be paid.

The uncertainty, lack of explanation and financial worry is cause for frustration and has left little time to process and wrap our heads around what's going on with Regina.  We are currently in the process of applying for a US Spousal visa as I'm UK citizen. This implements restriction on how long I can be here and what I can do to help and support Regina. Although myself and Regina are able to be together right now my current  immigration status means I am unfortunately am unable to work to support Regina.

It is incredibly surreal to write this, but we would appreciate any help to ease the burden. we would be forever grateful to you and your family if you could share this far and wide. Thank you alone doesn't seem to cut it but from the bottom of our hearts we thank you and appreciate any support in this time!!!