Support Brenda’s Last Wishes-$ directly to her

Help Ease Brenda’s Terminal Cancer Journey

Goal: $15,000

Hello! My name is Aida Enriquez and I want to thank you all in advance first for listening to our story and second for your support of Brenda and our family during this extremely difficult time. This is a very difficult request for me to make since it is on behalf of my dear older sister, Brenda Carmen Enriquez, who has been informed of devasting news. She has been diagnosed with Stage 4 gastric cancer and it is terminal. The tumor is inoperable, and it has metastasized to her bones. She has been given 6 months to live. My sister is just 40 years old and is the eldest of my siblings, so this news has been a shocking blow to our family. It is difficult to digest even as I write these words. I want to apologize to those members of our family and friends who must find out like this, but Brenda is a very proud and private individual who would never want to feel like a burden to anyone in her midst. She is often the glue that binds us together and is the strongest of us all in so many ways. This is why it is almost unbearable for me to break the news to some of you who know her in this way. She is in a lot of pain but is determined to fight until the bitter end so that she may spend the remainder of her days making memories with her three boys, Xavier, Benicio, and Joel. In addition to her husband, they are her primary reason for living and her sole reasons for trying. Answering the “Whys” and “what ifs” have become a new part of her norm. She questions herself as to where she went wrong. She wonders if she should have gone to the doctor more or listened to her body more. She ponders where she would be if she had only noticed certain signs before. These are all questions that invade her thoughts, but I want her to know that this isn’t her fault. That this was on God’s time, no matter how unfair his plan has been outlined. After all, what healthy 40-year-old woman thinks that this is how she would leave this Earth especially when she should have so much time left. My sister remains fully informed of the magnitude of her terminal diagnosis but by nature, is not a quitter. Since the tumor is inoperable, she wants to pursue chemotherapy with the hopes that it will shrink the tumor and/or slow its growth. She knows that she is “on borrowed time” but says that this isn’t a fight for her to ultimately survive. That this is her own personal fight for “just a little more time” . More time with her boys and more time to enjoy, laugh and reminisce with her entire family together under one single roof again. This is her final wish. It is extremely important that I lend my support in any way that I can while she fights this debilitating battle. As the primary breadwinner in her family, she is no longer able to work and is bombarded with thoughts and worry over medical bills, living costs and funeral expenses. She does not have any life insurance or savings to depend upon and she can no longer afford to stay in her apartment. As she finds the strength to fight a good fight for her life, I want the least of her worries to be financial ones. Funeral services will cost between $10,000 - $12,000 and funds are needed to pay for daily costs of living. I know that it may seem morbid to request assistance for her funeral while she is still here, but this cancer is terminal and we have accepted the fact that her Earthly end is near. We don’t even know if she will have the strength to withstand chemotherapy as she has already endured several blood transfusions and is presently in a weakened state. I am graciously pleading for donations, which will help to defray some of the costly medical and day- to-day living expenses for her and her family and will allow us to establish a prepaid funeral plan for her. I would appreciate any level of assistance. Any amount counts and nothing is too big or too small. Please feel free to share! Thank you for your time.