Help Ricky fight brain cancer

Rick Lopes was a contractor many years on Maui Helping every way he could to work with everybody’s budgets. Now this is the biggest challenge of his life. While on a trip to Los Angeles to do the celebration of life for his mother-in-law, he got very sick with Covid and had to cancel the event and ended up in the emergency room with altered mental status, left sided weakness, couldn’t walk right, then ended up after cat scan and MRI they found a huge malignant tumor on the right side of his brain with midline shift of the brain. His options were to have surgery within 1-2 days or go home and die. He was accepted by a neurosurgeon and transferred from
Mercy Hospital ER in Bakersfield to UCLA NEURO ICU For further evaluation. They treated with steroids, hypertonic saline, anti seizure medication. The swelling was decreased and headache. He’s in good spirits but very concerned about medical expenses for surgery and treatments. His wife Marilyn Jansen Lopes a registered nurse, has been at his side. The surgery removed a large tumor but now the staging will be done to determine treatment. Chemo, radiation, immunotherapy, trial studies. All of his professional career since he was 23 years old as a contractor, he worked with mom and pops in Maui County and work with any individuals always trying to help the elderly. Ever since August 8 Rick was helping cleanup after the Kula Fires on Maui. Please support Rick in this fight for his life. He’s very pragmatic about it saying he already lived a beautiful life with his family and loved ones. Please help him get the best care to continue a quality of life. He will need to stay near UCLA for at least a month and determine if it is possible to receive the further treatment back home on Maui. Life is precious and it has thrown us a curve ball. We appreciate all the love we’ve received and lifesaving neurosurgery team at UCLA. Everyone has been amazing. Thank you friends for all the love and prayers. We believe in miracles