Help Diana Carolina Serna Beat Cancer
Donation protected
I am starting this fundraiser to help my sister, Diana, in her fight against breast cancer. Diana was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer earlier this year. At 35, her diagnosis is rare and her treatment lengthy. She will undergo five months of chemotherapy, followed by surgery and radiation.
Diana is not just my sister. She is also my best friend and role model. Those of you who know her can attest to her incredible heart, her relentless desire to help others, and her unique ability to only see the best in people.
To say that Diana has had a tough go at life is an understatement. She was 14 when our family immigrated to the US, which made her adjustment to “American life” harder. She struggled to fit in at school without speaking a word of English, yet she somehow managed to graduate a year ahead of schedule.
Our family’s decade-long fight through the immigration system shut Diana out of any opportunity to enroll in college after high school. Instead, Diana took up various housekeeping and front office jobs to help our family make ends meet. In 2018, with incredible sacrifice and effort, Diana enrolled in Columbia University and completed her bachelor’s degree this past December 2020.
What Diana accomplished goes far beyond her Diploma. She was in her 30s sitting in classes with 18-year-old peers who were better equipped to perform academically and who also had the financial stability to focus on their studies. Diana slept on my couch her first semester until she found an empty janitor’s closet in a fellow student's apartment that she rented for $200 a month. None of this deterred Diana in her determination to finish school.
As our family gathered to celebrate the holidays this past December 2020, Diana’s excitement about her future was palpable. She was finally “catching-a-break.” She was recruiting for jobs post-graduation, had envisioned saving for a post-pandemic trip to Italy, and was ready to tackle the +$70k of student loans she had accumulated at Columbia.
These goals were placed on hold with her cancer diagnosis and the prognosis of a lengthy (~10-12 month) treatment. Without a job lined up, the cost of her medical care has put a considerable strain on our family’s finances, and her concern over loan repayments and further delays to her career has added an extra layer of stress and anxiety that are not conducive to a speedy recovery.
I know 2020 was a tough year for all of us, both financially and mentally. But it has also been a time in which the strength of our communities and our networks has taught me how much we can help one another overcome life’s toughest moments. Should your circumstances allow it, please help me show Diana that she has an army standing behind her, cheering her on, and ensuring she is not alone in this. ..for this too shall pass.
Diana is not just my sister. She is also my best friend and role model. Those of you who know her can attest to her incredible heart, her relentless desire to help others, and her unique ability to only see the best in people.
To say that Diana has had a tough go at life is an understatement. She was 14 when our family immigrated to the US, which made her adjustment to “American life” harder. She struggled to fit in at school without speaking a word of English, yet she somehow managed to graduate a year ahead of schedule.
Our family’s decade-long fight through the immigration system shut Diana out of any opportunity to enroll in college after high school. Instead, Diana took up various housekeeping and front office jobs to help our family make ends meet. In 2018, with incredible sacrifice and effort, Diana enrolled in Columbia University and completed her bachelor’s degree this past December 2020.
What Diana accomplished goes far beyond her Diploma. She was in her 30s sitting in classes with 18-year-old peers who were better equipped to perform academically and who also had the financial stability to focus on their studies. Diana slept on my couch her first semester until she found an empty janitor’s closet in a fellow student's apartment that she rented for $200 a month. None of this deterred Diana in her determination to finish school.
As our family gathered to celebrate the holidays this past December 2020, Diana’s excitement about her future was palpable. She was finally “catching-a-break.” She was recruiting for jobs post-graduation, had envisioned saving for a post-pandemic trip to Italy, and was ready to tackle the +$70k of student loans she had accumulated at Columbia.
These goals were placed on hold with her cancer diagnosis and the prognosis of a lengthy (~10-12 month) treatment. Without a job lined up, the cost of her medical care has put a considerable strain on our family’s finances, and her concern over loan repayments and further delays to her career has added an extra layer of stress and anxiety that are not conducive to a speedy recovery.
I know 2020 was a tough year for all of us, both financially and mentally. But it has also been a time in which the strength of our communities and our networks has taught me how much we can help one another overcome life’s toughest moments. Should your circumstances allow it, please help me show Diana that she has an army standing behind her, cheering her on, and ensuring she is not alone in this. ..for this too shall pass.
Organizer
Mauricio Serna
Organizer
Fort Lauderdale, FL