Start up funds for Constantine
Donation protected
The story of Constantine is an amazing one--so we are going to tell it.
Constantine is a miracle baby. When his beloved mother, Lisa, underwent her chemo treatment plan during her first battle with cancer, she was told she could never have children because the chemo did away with all her eggs. Even though Lisa was possibly one of the most maternal and motherly women I had ever met, she held that reality like a true hero, lamenting that "maybe having kids is just not for me, and that's okay." Lisa's story was far from an easy one, and one which bears no need for recounting, but suffice it to say that this remarkable woman survived tragedy after tragedy, until the day she met her soul mate, Christian. After having survived her first rodeo with cancer, she and Christian were convinced it would just be the two of them forever more, and that was more than enough. Remarkably, Lisa happened to have one ovarian cycle in all those years post-cancer, and without even knowing it, she became pregnant.
Convinced it was impossible, Lisa believed she was just gaining "comfort" relationship weight. It wasn't until she was about four months gone that she realized she had conceived a miracle baby. I will never forget the day she told me. We were in our corporate law seminar and the professor had just begun talking about shareholder's rights when she turned to me and whispered, "I have something to tell you." I immediately turned to look at her, paused, and said, "you're pregnant." She waited, sheepishly smiled, and nodded "yes." I felt a rush of joy course through my body. I had told this incredible woman that from the day I met her I knew she was destined to be a mother. And the funny thing is, despite the monumental odds stacked against her--somehow she knew it too.
Lisa gave birth in February 2020, and true to form, she somehow managed to CALI all of her classes the following month (I.e., achieving the highest grade in the class) and then passing the hardest bar in the U.S. that summer with a newborn. This was all just par for the course with Lisa--of course she got the highest grade in all of her classes when her baby was but even a month old.
Tragically, soon after--by the time Constantine had only but turned a year old--Lisa was diagnosed with cancer again. And this time it had spread everywhere. We were all unsurprisingly optimistic. This was the woman who had survived all the odds, beat all the cancers, all the tragedies, CALI'd all the classes, passed all the bars with all the newborns. There was no way this woman could ever be defeated. The doctors kept meting out bad news after bad news, but this was our Lisa. Our hero. Our survivor. She was the epitome of defying the odds with her miracle life and her miracle newborn. There was nothing that could defeat the soul that lived in Lisa's body.
Sadly, our beloved and amazing Lisa passed on Sunday November 21st, leaving behind Constantine in her wake. While the donations she has received heretofore have been beyond incredible and generous, every single penny has gone towards Lisa's cancer treatment while her family have struggled to facilitate her treatment. This means that making sure her son is taken care of has become a challenge.
Constantine now needs some help while the family slowly starts to get back on their feet. Every penny spent towards this donation will go towards his food, clothes, toys, rent, daycare etc. Lisa left behind a legacy of forever giving and loving unconditionally. Sadly, she could not stay with us long enough to get that back 10 fold like she deserved, but her son--who lives on through her--can still get the start in life he deserves through the village that stands behind our amazing Lisa. Every donation, no matter how big or small, is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Constantine is a miracle baby. When his beloved mother, Lisa, underwent her chemo treatment plan during her first battle with cancer, she was told she could never have children because the chemo did away with all her eggs. Even though Lisa was possibly one of the most maternal and motherly women I had ever met, she held that reality like a true hero, lamenting that "maybe having kids is just not for me, and that's okay." Lisa's story was far from an easy one, and one which bears no need for recounting, but suffice it to say that this remarkable woman survived tragedy after tragedy, until the day she met her soul mate, Christian. After having survived her first rodeo with cancer, she and Christian were convinced it would just be the two of them forever more, and that was more than enough. Remarkably, Lisa happened to have one ovarian cycle in all those years post-cancer, and without even knowing it, she became pregnant.
Convinced it was impossible, Lisa believed she was just gaining "comfort" relationship weight. It wasn't until she was about four months gone that she realized she had conceived a miracle baby. I will never forget the day she told me. We were in our corporate law seminar and the professor had just begun talking about shareholder's rights when she turned to me and whispered, "I have something to tell you." I immediately turned to look at her, paused, and said, "you're pregnant." She waited, sheepishly smiled, and nodded "yes." I felt a rush of joy course through my body. I had told this incredible woman that from the day I met her I knew she was destined to be a mother. And the funny thing is, despite the monumental odds stacked against her--somehow she knew it too.
Lisa gave birth in February 2020, and true to form, she somehow managed to CALI all of her classes the following month (I.e., achieving the highest grade in the class) and then passing the hardest bar in the U.S. that summer with a newborn. This was all just par for the course with Lisa--of course she got the highest grade in all of her classes when her baby was but even a month old.
Tragically, soon after--by the time Constantine had only but turned a year old--Lisa was diagnosed with cancer again. And this time it had spread everywhere. We were all unsurprisingly optimistic. This was the woman who had survived all the odds, beat all the cancers, all the tragedies, CALI'd all the classes, passed all the bars with all the newborns. There was no way this woman could ever be defeated. The doctors kept meting out bad news after bad news, but this was our Lisa. Our hero. Our survivor. She was the epitome of defying the odds with her miracle life and her miracle newborn. There was nothing that could defeat the soul that lived in Lisa's body.
Sadly, our beloved and amazing Lisa passed on Sunday November 21st, leaving behind Constantine in her wake. While the donations she has received heretofore have been beyond incredible and generous, every single penny has gone towards Lisa's cancer treatment while her family have struggled to facilitate her treatment. This means that making sure her son is taken care of has become a challenge.
Constantine now needs some help while the family slowly starts to get back on their feet. Every penny spent towards this donation will go towards his food, clothes, toys, rent, daycare etc. Lisa left behind a legacy of forever giving and loving unconditionally. Sadly, she could not stay with us long enough to get that back 10 fold like she deserved, but her son--who lives on through her--can still get the start in life he deserves through the village that stands behind our amazing Lisa. Every donation, no matter how big or small, is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Organizer and beneficiary
Elica Zadeh
Organizer
Irvine, CA
Christian Zelaya
Beneficiary