Katia's treatment surgery and recovery

I first met Katiasofia Gonzales when I was her dorm parent at Hershey Montessori School in Ohio. Katia Is now a 21-year-old cognitive neuroscience student who aspires to become a scientist and dedicate herself to researching and helping with neurodevelopmental disorders.

To say that Katia is a great young woman is not adequate. Katia radiates love and Light and is the kind of person everyone gravitates toward. Not only do I feel she is a daughter to me, but I am lucky to count her as a friend.

This summer, as Katia was preparing for her senior year in college, she was diagnosed with a Pituitary Macroadenoma (a type of brain tumor) that is causing Cushing’s Disease and an endocrine condition that causes excessive release of cortisol and insulin. She suffers greatly from this and is working hard to continue her senior year.

The treatment for Cushing’s disease is surgery to remove the tumor alongside pharmacological treatment and radiotherapy. All of this is very scary and very debilitating. Katia and her family now find the need to cover large medical bills. Katia’s family had been focusing all their resources on putting Katia and her two siblings through college.

We all are overwhelmed by Katia’s situation as we try to help in any way; because of the symptoms of Cushing’s disease, she is unable to work and is struggling to maintain her academic schedule. She has a supportive group of adults helping with trips to and from the hospital and lending support. Her Mom and Dad will arrive here from Peru for her surgery, which will also be costly.

The people who love Katia are reaching out to ask for help from Katia’s wider community.

We all will be deeply grateful for any amount of help. We want nothing more than to see Katia move forward with her dreams and life goals. We all know that Katia will help so many people, just as she has been the bright spot in all of our lives.