Aissa Tena Flores and Family

Hello, I am Aissa's niece and I am starting a GoFundMe for her and her family.

On April 19, 2022 Aissa had experienced a severe painful headache while at work. This caused her to leave early and go to urgent care, where she underwent a few brain scans and labs. To receive further care and perform additional tests, Aissa was then transferred to a different hospital. The initial results from April 22, 2022 showed cerebral edema (brain swelling) on the right side of the pons and extended to the right superior midbrain, measuring at 0.6cm. Doctors were unsure as to what the diagnosis was but believed that the mass was caused by encephalitis and was treatable, so Aissa had been discharged from the hospital.

As Aissa started to take medication, she experienced many different side effects, one being seizures. It was unimaginable for Aissa’s family to see her condition but her family had strong hopes. Only 2 1/2 weeks later, doctors saw that the tumor was getting bigger, spreading, and growing at a rapid rate. The scans taken on May 12, 2022 showed that there had been an enhancement from 0.6cm to 6cm at the left posterior lobe. On May 24, 2022 Aissa had a video appointment with her doctor, who then told her that she would need to get admitted the next day for an open brain craniotomy biopsy, as there was still no definite answer as to what her diagnosis could be. Being the brave person Aissa always was, she did not back down and continued with the operation. To her family’s relief, Aissa had survived the operation but she was not the same. She slowly began to experience a decline in memory, speech, and physical abilities, such as standing and walking. The preliminary findings at that time was a brain tumor called midline diffuse glioma.

By the first week of June, she was diagnosed with brain tumors specified as malignant brain glioma at 42 years old. Doctors said that the tumor was inoperable, and the overall prognosis of her condition is poor. Chemo and radiation therapy were provided as an option of treatment, which Aissa had decided to take. Regardless of what the doctors had said about her condition being incurable, Aissa’s fighting spirit kept her going along with the love and support she had from her family. Every single day beginning July 12, 2022, Aissa underwent chemo and radiation therapy where she was accompanied by her husband, Erwin. As days went on, Aissa became weaker. Towards the end of her treatment session, she began to have difficulty swallowing medication and food. As the family grew concerned with Aissa, they took her to the emergency room on the night of August 19, 2022. The next day, a doctor had confronted Aissa along with her eldest daughter about her condition. According to Erlla, Aissa’s eldest daughter, “It felt like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from”, when the doctor had told her that her mom can pass away any day now due to her worsening condition with Glioblastoma. During her stay at the hospital, Erlla had vouched for her mom to get a G-Tube intact, in order to continue providing her mom with medications and nutrients. Aissa was discharged from the hospital on August 26, 2022, where she then transitioned into a hospice setting.

Her rapid and unexpected decline in health has been difficult to process, but especially more so for her husband and children. Having seen their mother in this situation has caused great distress for the family. They were no longer able to do the things they used to love as a family such as karaoke, dancing, movie nights, eating out, family trips, and so much more. They no longer heard Aissa’s bright and beautiful laugh and were no longer able to experience having Aissa’s witty and enlightening personality to cheer them up even on the worse days.

I created this GoFundMe to help provide financial support to her and her family. Aissa has 3 beautiful daughters who are 20, 13, and 8 years old. Unfortunately, her husband had no choice but to stop working in order to take care of her and their children.

While so many have already reached out for care and concern, we ask that financial support is provided as this will be the best way to assist the Flores family. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and generosity!

Zelle: [phone redacted] or [phone redacted]