Help Kandie fight glioblastoma

To know Kandace, or Kandie is to know of her fierce will. This woman has birthed 6 children, raised grandkids, nieces, nephews, and is a main character in countless stories told by anyone who has met her. She has spent her life giving, fighting, laughing, and loving. Kandie is the kind of person who you meet and instantly think, "man she really cares about me." And the truth is...she does. 

"Next time you go to that doctor, you take me with you." 

"If they try to talk to you like that again, you call me and I'll talk to them..."

"Just call mom (aunt kandie, your sister, ect), she'll know exactly what to do..." 

Kandie has been a rock and support to everyone in her life... 


But suddenly every thing changed on March 29th, 2022. When Kandie started to slur her speech, started feeling a little off, her daughter Erica took her to the ER at John Muir Concord, under the expectation that there  may have been a stroke. A stroke we understood, a stroke made sense.... But instead we were given news that would change the  course of all of our lives. 




Kandie was diagnosed with a brain tumor that needed to be biopsied, and potentially removed immediately. She went under the knife not a week later, having the tumor removed at John Muir Walnut Creek. After testing, we were informed that she has Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is a common but highly aggressive brain cancer, and treatment is going to be immediate, and expensive. 



For Kandie's cancer, she will undergo chemo and radiation 5 days a week, for six weeks. Her appointments may be in Palo Alto, at Stanford, where they have a clinical trial that has offered us the most hope of the doctors so far. The alternate option is still a 45 minute daily drive. With kandie being forced into an early retirement, and with her new treatment expenses, all of the financial need rack up quickly. 



As we all know, gas is an extremely expensive essential need at this time. With daily 45 min-2 hour commutes, the expense threatens to be dire. In addition to treatment costs, there are also many new and ever arising expenses needed to keep Kandie comfortable, as well as healthy. Her dietary needs have expanded, as well as so many health and mental health related needs. 

With that said, Kandie is surrounded by the most incredible support system. Her children, her nieces and nephews, her siblings, and family have all committed to the mantra "In this Family No One Fights Alone." Because in all of the years of knowing Kandie, she has never left a loved one to fight alone. She has been an advocate, a supporter, a cheerleader, and a warm hug at the end of the day. And all of us who have reaped that love are  eager to be all of those things for her now. 

We need your help to ensure that Kandie's Fight has the strong foundation that she has always given us. 

Thank you so much for the love and support,

She has been overwhelmed with the reality of how truly loved she is. 

And .... we've got this!

If you'd rather donate via venmo, please donate to her daughter Karina, who will be transporting to all appointments and managing health related expenses! 

@karina-rivera18