HELP GIGI BEAT BREAST CANCER
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Approximately a year ago, my aunt also known as 'Tita' Gigi was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. She underwent chemotherapy sessions and at the time, the government in the Philippines assisted her with payments. She would line up all day, her son accompanying her, to receive the funding for her much needed treatments. She recovered. We thought all was well. We thought we had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel.
Recently, however, she was diagnosed with cancer again - this time Stage 3. The logistics and the explanations provided by the doctors as to how the cancer could come back, how the cancer was in fact progressive, how there is still hope are but a jumbled mess in our minds. All we can think of is how we just want her to get better. Her family wants her to get better. Her children want her to get better. A single mother, Tita Gigi, has raised all four of her children on her own.
The doctors have prescribed a new form of chemotherapy treatment using the drugs Perjeta and Herceptin which they have assured will increase Tita Gigi's life expectancy. We have researched the drug and found studies have shown great potential. There is hope. We felt there was hope. Upon hearing the costs, however, we hit yet another roadblock to overcome. It's painful how hope can be so elusive...how hope can exist but so out of reach.
In total, Tita Gigi has to undergo 18 treatments. Each treatment costs approximately $10,000 USD each. The Filipino government has turned down her plea for help because they reasoned they already helped her the first time around. Tita Gigi is now left to fend on her own. Hope only becomes farther and farther out of reach. To feel so helpless when all we want to do is fight and all she wants to do is fight can be so debilitating - but we must carry on.
Her children (my cousins) have already raised funds for her first three treatments by taking out loans, putting their cars up as collateral, and using up all of their savings. They are fast, however, running out of other options. We need your help.
Tita Gigi is a beautiful individual both inside and out. She has never asked for money (ever). To give you an idea of the type of person she is, when she was unemployed and recovering from her previous chemotherapy sessons, she was too embarrassed to ask her daughter for money. It only came to light she had none when she finally asked her daughter for some money to buy a toothbrush to bring to the hospital when she had to stay there overnight. That's the type of person she was. As much as she could help it, she never asked anyone for help. And here we are now asking you for her.
The woman is a true testament of a loving and unselfish mother, grandmother, and sister. It is truly unfair that she has to undergo all of this pain now. She is not deserving of the cards she has been dealt with. Unlike me, however, you will never hear Tita Gigi complain. She's always been strong. Accepting of her diagnosis and always putting other people first. She, however, is starting to falter. We see glimpses of weakness in her once strong and wilful eyes. Despite her children hiding their concerns from her, she is starting to sense their worry and sorrow. The fight in her is weakening simply because she sees how trying to raise funds is affecting her children. Her children want her to fight. We need her to fight. We need you to help her keep fighting.
I realize the money we are asking for is a huge sum. In all honesty, seeing the sum initially made me just want to give up and be defeated by how difficult it would be to raise these funds. What would make people stop what they are doing and care enough to help Tita Gigi? Despite not having all of the answers, however, we just cannot give up.
In the end, all we can do is put our faith in God and in humanity. We cannot give up. We need to carry on. With your help, any help, we can continue with her treatments.
Thank you so much for caring this much as to read Tita Gigi's story.
Recently, however, she was diagnosed with cancer again - this time Stage 3. The logistics and the explanations provided by the doctors as to how the cancer could come back, how the cancer was in fact progressive, how there is still hope are but a jumbled mess in our minds. All we can think of is how we just want her to get better. Her family wants her to get better. Her children want her to get better. A single mother, Tita Gigi, has raised all four of her children on her own.
The doctors have prescribed a new form of chemotherapy treatment using the drugs Perjeta and Herceptin which they have assured will increase Tita Gigi's life expectancy. We have researched the drug and found studies have shown great potential. There is hope. We felt there was hope. Upon hearing the costs, however, we hit yet another roadblock to overcome. It's painful how hope can be so elusive...how hope can exist but so out of reach.
In total, Tita Gigi has to undergo 18 treatments. Each treatment costs approximately $10,000 USD each. The Filipino government has turned down her plea for help because they reasoned they already helped her the first time around. Tita Gigi is now left to fend on her own. Hope only becomes farther and farther out of reach. To feel so helpless when all we want to do is fight and all she wants to do is fight can be so debilitating - but we must carry on.
Her children (my cousins) have already raised funds for her first three treatments by taking out loans, putting their cars up as collateral, and using up all of their savings. They are fast, however, running out of other options. We need your help.
Tita Gigi is a beautiful individual both inside and out. She has never asked for money (ever). To give you an idea of the type of person she is, when she was unemployed and recovering from her previous chemotherapy sessons, she was too embarrassed to ask her daughter for money. It only came to light she had none when she finally asked her daughter for some money to buy a toothbrush to bring to the hospital when she had to stay there overnight. That's the type of person she was. As much as she could help it, she never asked anyone for help. And here we are now asking you for her.
The woman is a true testament of a loving and unselfish mother, grandmother, and sister. It is truly unfair that she has to undergo all of this pain now. She is not deserving of the cards she has been dealt with. Unlike me, however, you will never hear Tita Gigi complain. She's always been strong. Accepting of her diagnosis and always putting other people first. She, however, is starting to falter. We see glimpses of weakness in her once strong and wilful eyes. Despite her children hiding their concerns from her, she is starting to sense their worry and sorrow. The fight in her is weakening simply because she sees how trying to raise funds is affecting her children. Her children want her to fight. We need her to fight. We need you to help her keep fighting.
I realize the money we are asking for is a huge sum. In all honesty, seeing the sum initially made me just want to give up and be defeated by how difficult it would be to raise these funds. What would make people stop what they are doing and care enough to help Tita Gigi? Despite not having all of the answers, however, we just cannot give up.
In the end, all we can do is put our faith in God and in humanity. We cannot give up. We need to carry on. With your help, any help, we can continue with her treatments.
Thank you so much for caring this much as to read Tita Gigi's story.
Organizer
Arlene Garcia Zamora
Organizer
Santa Clarita, CA