Stephen Garcia and Family - Battling Brain Cancer

Hello, my name is Stephen, 31 year old father of 4 yr old, Aria, and husband to Chie, 26. On 10/19/2022 I was diagnosed with the terminal brain cancer disease, glioblastoma. Just a few days before that, I had been getting the mild symptoms of the common cold/flu. I did not realize this until after surgery, that about a week prior to these symptoms, I slowly started losing my vocabulary and holding conversations was becoming more difficult.

I went from knowing thousands of words to maybe about fifty. With my wife, and her determination, I got back to the ER. I had already made an ER visit earlier in the week, but just for a covid test. So, it was especially hard to convince me to go again, but with her help, I got there. Without her, I may not be here today, at all, or to not be able to live and love life every day remaining. This ER visit had a wild coincidence that very well could have saved me as well if it did not happen. The ER nurse that was working that night was an old friend from college that I had not seen or spoken to for a long time. He could tell I was off and got me to a room and ordered further exams asap. Thank you, friend!

To be reunited with a friend like that, from back in the day, has made me more thankful for the people in my life, including family and friends, and I appreciate you, even if we don't talk much, or at all anymore. Life has gotten busy, on a new level, since turning 30+! About 15 years ago, as a student-athlete in high school, helped me pursue a career I am passionate about. Upon graduating in 2009, I immediately began exploring coaching and teaching student athletes during the summer breaks of my 4 yr exercise science degree at Winona State. I worked various jobs while contemplating graduate school for many years.

Near the beginning of 2022, I had just resigned from the hospital where I was working as an Exercise Physiologist and Physical Therapy Aide. This position gave me the opportunity to experience what it is like training different types of patients with varying medical conditions. Parkinsons, stroke, cancer, to name a few. Being able to speak again and maintaining physical fitness is something that I didn’t think I could have been even more grateful for than I already was pre-cancer. Yes, it was a shock to get the news, but I can not deny that it was only a semi-shocking experience, for me, personally having lost my Dad to thyroid cancer just 6 years ago. My Mom is battling her own battles of cancer to this day. She has had different battles for the past 7 years. So, yes, my genetics are not great and I was expecting to battle cancer myself at some point, but not until maybe I was 50+ years old.

Still here, at the beginning of 2022, I reached a milestone in my career by choosing to be 100% self employed after leaving the hospital position to focus more on my own fitness business that I started many years ago. Thanks to amazing, supportive clients that I had met over the years, I was making enough to feed and support my family. My passion and career were starting to take off without needing to be working 40+ hours every single week at an office somewhere away from my family. I am grateful and glad I went after it and still get after it to this day! For anyone reading this that wants to build their own path with whatever your career passions are. Go for it! Expect to mess up here and there, but that's part of growth! Don’t back down just because s*** gets hard.

I am serving clients again, in the gym and virtually. Just like how I have a hard time admitting that I need to go to the ER I also have a hard time admitting that I should ask for help, in general, from those that have asked how they could help. The hospital bills, with some other debt before this occurred, have been stressful lately. Currently, there is no cure for this brain cancer. There is promising research giving hope that soon there could be a cure developed. My father’s thyroid cancer cure medicine was discovered a couple years after his passing. For the brain cancer that I’m battling, the life expectancy is about 12-16 months with the average age of those diagnosed being between 55-60 years old. Thanks to my wife and nurse friend, my tumor was detected and removed very soon into its development.

With no cure currently available, I am experimenting with a different combination of supplements (oil of oregano, lemongrass extract, melatonin, vitamin C, etc.) that has some research to support that it may help with keeping brain cancer cells from coming back. The research is not strong since pharmaceutical companies fund the money needed to conduct research. Since the research does not push the pharmaceutical company’s product, they do not care. So, there is enough hope for me to keep experimenting with these supplements. They are not expensive individually, but I am getting alot of different ones to experiment with how I feel and the results of my future brain and blood scans. These supplements have been another monthly bill to account for.

Okay, so I shared the positive coincidence. Now for the negative. The same year of this diagnosis, just months prior to the ER visits, I had the opportunity to purchase a life insurance policy. I did not think that it was a bad idea to get a policy. I was just not in a rush to purchase one because I was almost done paying off some other bills and planned to purchase a policy in the near future. Now, getting a policy is something I cannot count because of my life expectancy and the requirement for cancer patients to receive a policy now are tough. From time to time, I still feel some guilt for this. 

 A lot of Family and Friends have reached out to me, asking what ways they can help, and, I admit that financially is what would help most and I would appreciate it. I do not have financial security for my wife and daughter for when I am no longer here. Therefore, I created this GoFundMe to allow some of you to help me if you could. Every donation would mean so much to me and my family.

Love everyday and get after it!

-Stephen