Carmen Vazquez Cancer treatments
Donation protected
The beautiful, strong woman we are raising money for is named Carmen Vazquez. We asked her to write a bio so that those of you who do not personally know her would have a picture of what kind of woman Carmen really is, has been, and plans to be in the future! So here it goes..."Hello, my name is Carmen Vazquez. I'm sixty one years old and plan on getting to one hundred! I was diagnosed with stage four metastasis breast cancer. The cancer has now spread to my spinal column and both lungs.
To give you a brief back story on myself; I was diagnosed with breast cancer ten years ago, February of 2005, at the age of fifty one. Upon my diagnosis, I decided to change everything about my lifestyle. I augmented my eating habits, incorperated a daily exercise routine, and made my life as holistic as possible. Through these changes and surgery, I beat it. Until very recently, I have been in remission for the past 10 years.
I'm a single mother of two amazing men: My eldest Jose will be turning 40 soon and my youngest Robert just turned 26. ;) I made a life for us by working as a Welder Repair at Ford Motor Company for seventeen years and fifteen as a Production Worker, also for Ford Motor Company. After I retired from Ford, I wasn't ready to completely stop working because my youngest was furthering his education by attending college at the University of Michigan. I helped pay for his tution (a mothers work is never done), so I spent another two and a half years packaging vegetables and translating. When I finally decided to retire for good, I moved to Arizona with my eighty-seven year old father. Not only did I move for the beautiful weather Arizona had to offer, I also made moved to be closer to my son Jose, My grandchildren, and my daughter-in-law.
Unfortunately, as of February 2015, exactly ten years since I was first diagnosed back in 2005, I fell ill with an upper respiratory illness. I was in-and-out of the hospital several times with misdiagnoses before they finally found the root of the problem....Cancer; It had returned with a vengeance. I'm hoping to beat it again, through the same ways I did before, and with the help of my doctor. The treatments that I am going through are expensive, and my energy is low, but I have NO intentions (at all!) of letting this cancer win! I will fight until my last breath!
At this time with all of your help, donations, prayers, I have completed 7 weeks of treatments and I feel good, but I'm not in the clear!
I have dedicated my life and my time to beating this horrible disease! I eat clean, I exercise, I try my best to stay as positive as I can be considering! Unfortunately doing these things only go so far... Unfortunately to beat my cancer the way I believe I should beat it... It takes money I do not have.
I could go on for days about what I've been through with my first diagnoses. I could go on for days crying about this diagnosis, but that's not why I'm here! They way my cancer has spread its a death sentence and I refuse to let it be my death sentence! I believe going through the treatments my insurance covers will kill me so it is not an option for me unfortunately!
I appreciate you all for taking the time to read my story. I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me that you all have been abd are still willing to help me beat this, because I have every intention on doing just that!
- Carmen Vazquez"
We have high hopes! We hope that, with your help, Carmen will beat her stage four metastasis breast cancer! To do that, we need to raise enough money so that she can continue treatment. Anyone who knows Carmen, knows that she is as independent as they come. She was initially against the idea of a GoFundMe drive, a benefit, or even asking for help. It wasn't until she was forced to borrow $30,000 from her retirment, that she realized stage four cancer wasn't something she could defeat alone.
We are grateful for every penny and every kind word! We know that not everyone is in a position to help, and that's OK! We have all been there and we still love you anyways! If you can, please help us. Let's help Carmen fight this battle with less stress and financial burden. Let's help Carmen kick cancer's ass!
Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to help and share our GoFundMe account!
- Jose, Rob, & Brandy
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Organizer and beneficiary
Brandy Santiago-Rivera
Organizer
Florence, AZ
Carmen Vazquez
Beneficiary