Jessica Otero's Leukemia Fund

Many people search all their lives for purpose and fulfilment. For some, this search never ends. Others may be successful in their search only to find that realizing this newfound purpose is far too difficult and ridden with too many obstacles. A lucky few, for as far back as they can remember, know exactly what their life’s purpose is and from there it’s only a matter of figuring out how to make that vision a reality. Jessica is one such person. She has a remarkable energy, warmth, and will that make you realize that she is someone for which no obstacle is too great to overcome. Jessica is a genuinely kind and thoughtful soul who would stop at nothing in the relentless pursuit of her life’s purpose. For Jessica, that purpose is to provide compassionate healthcare to those in need by becoming a doctor. Unfortunately, the fulfillment of her dream has come into jeopardy shortly after its induction. The reason for this is Jessica’s recent Leukemia diagnosis. Currently, medical school and her dream of becoming a doctor are on hold as she fights to beat cancer. It is not in Jessica’s nature to ask for any help, especially of the financial variety, so we are asking on her behalf. Many of us have encountered cancer whether directly or indirectly through a loved one. Sadly, the financial burden that often accompanies such a diagnosis only adds to the extreme stress of the already difficult circumstances. It is our goal with this GOFUNDME to lessen the financial burden for Jessica and her family so that they can focus as much energy as possible on Jessica’s recovery.

         Jessica’s dream of becoming a doctor began in her native country of El Salvador. From a young age, she identified the lack of adequate healthcare rampant in her home country. Her desire was founded in the belief that all people deserve the access to life saving healthcare. Once she becomes a doctor, her dream is to open a free clinic that serves the underprivileged. However, Jessica’s path towards achieving this dream, even before beginning medical school, has been quite challenging. To begin with, she came to the US with little English-speaking ability. Despite the language barrier, she tackled high school albeit with very little guidance on postsecondary education. As a result, she applied only to one university and took out loans to pay for it. Even at the culmination of her college career, she missed some requirements to be accepted to Medical school. As a result, she had to complete a separate program after graduating while working a full-time job in order to get accepted to a medical program. After completing multiple post baccalaureate applications, she finally got accepted to ROSS medical school in Barbados. In the years leading up to her acceptance into school, Jessica continued working full-time while taking a full schedule of classes and commuting over an hour to get to work and school. Her work ethic and tenacious desire to achieve her dream have truly been inspiring to witness.

         Due to her Leukemia diagnosis, she has been forced to withdraw from her first semester at ROSS medical school without the right to an unconditional refund. This was particularly frustrating as she was achieving high marks in the accelerated program in which she was enrolled. She does not get credit for any of the work she put in for the semester and will need to re-apply for enrollment in medical school if her health allows. Further, because of the severity of her Leukemia diagnosis, at a minimum, the majority of her next year will be spent receiving various chemotherapeutic treatments at the hospital. She is unable to work and this puts her and her family in an increasingly difficult situation due to the extremely high cost of treatment. Despite all this, Jessica’s attitude, intention, and motivation are even stronger than before. She wants to become a doctor now more than ever which speaks volumes about her undeniable will and tenacity. She has even taken this setback as a positive learning experience to be able to provide better and more compassionate care to her future patients by personally relating to their experiences. Her outlook in this difficult situation has been pure Jessica -- incredibly positive and eternally optimistic. As administrators of this GOFUNDME and very close friends of Jessica, our hope is to substantially reduce the financial burden on Jessica and her family, and we need your help to achieve this goal. Jessica cannot do it alone, but with our collective help, we can help save the life, dreams, and hopes of someone who is truly special and uniquely wonderful. To know Jessica is to love her, and we hope this message helps you know her a little better.  Thank you so much for taking the time to read Jessica’s story, and thank you for any donations in support of Jessica and her family. Your kindness is much appreciated.