Fundraiser for the Orduna Family

Dear Community,

Over the past year, we have felt the boundless warmth of your love and support following the passing of my dad. Our family is immensely grateful for the kindness you've shown us during our most challenging times. Unfortunately, our family has run into financial struggles to meet basic living costs. Though the resources left behind by my dad have thankfully been helping so far, they are insufficient to continue to cover these needs for much longer. Unfortunately I’m in a situation where I’m unable to help much financially, so as a last resort we are reaching out to our community to help relieve some of this financial burden. Our family is hopeful of preserving the cherished home that my dad worked all of his life to be able to attain and then provide. Your support would mean the world to us during this difficult period and truly be the greatest gift of all this holiday season.

Thank you, from the very bottom of our hearts, for considering and being a source of strength for our family.

In addition, we would like to share the story of Juan, a non-smoker who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer last year. Despite this devastating news, Juan continued living life to the fullest until he physically could no longer do so. His prognosis gave him just a year to live with chemotherapy treatment, but, tragically, he only lived for a few, too-short, six months.

 Juan journeyed to America from Mexico at the young age of 15, through immense courage and determination; leaving behind his mother, father, and siblings, searching for a better life. Starting from scratch, he faced the hardships of living on the street, in his car and living in between friends/family that were kind enough to welcome him into their homes, all while going to school and tirelessly working to secure basic necessities. His resilience paid off, and was able to build an astonishingly rewarding life for himself and his family. Thanks to the help of the equally wonderful people around him, Juan was able to pursue higher education, earning a Bachelor of Science in Genetics from UC Davis, and moving on to begin a long and rewarding life. Along the way, he became the proud father of two children, Lukas and Isabella.

In service to his community, Juan served as a substitute teacher from 2008 to 2019, along with teaching fun science classes on the side (grades K-12) in the Redwood City School District. His drive to help out in the classroom was not only to be closer to his children, but also driven by his passion for helping the community. His primary occupation at the Stanford Research Institution spanned many years until he felt a calling to return to the hands-on medical field he always aspired to be part of. Consequently, he applied to the CSM Nursing Program and was accepted in the Spring of 2020. Juan epitomized the true essence of compassionate care, and reflected the endless love and care for his family onto all whom he helped. His commitment to his patients went beyond expectations, with consistent follow-ups on their care plans, providing support, and advocating for them during vulnerable times. Juan's daily presence exuded positivity, and his dedication to the vulnerable population in his community left an indelible mark on everyone who had the privilege of working with him. A true role model, Juan's impact extended to his children and all those fortunate enough to be part of his life.

His daughter is currently immersed in her studies at UC Santa Cruz, pursuing a path in premedicine and global and community health. She is a full-time student, and, following in the footsteps of her dad, is also involved in different types of community service. She actively contributes to an on-campus food insecurity and sustainable food system relief program, engages in neurodegenerative Parkinson's research lab work, and helps with different administrative tasks at a local hospital.

Meanwhile, his son, is approaching the end of middle school with a passion for swimming, chess, a keen interest in the sciences, and an overall enthusiasm for learning. Lukas brings joy to those around him through his hobby of baking, and he loved to share his baked goods with the school community. His energy and love for life really shines through in all that he does.

As we navigate these challenging times, we kindly ask for your support in contributing to relieving a bit of the financial hardships our family is facing. No matter the contribution, your generosity will make a meaningful difference that we wholeheartedly appreciate. Even simply sharing this fund with friends and family is incredibly helpful.

With heartfelt appreciation,

The Orduna Family

 P.S. In an effort to raise money, we are planning a few bake sales, we will be informing our community of when we plan on doing this, we would greatly appreciate any support with this as well!