The Lopez Family: Alejandro's Journey

Dearest Friends and Family,

We have put together this GoFundMe page to try and help the family of an extraordinary young man, Alejandro Lopez. His mother, Cynthia Lopez, is a longtime employee of ZamDental and is a caring, loyal, and trustworthy person. If you have been to our Southcross office, Cynthia’s smile and calming voice greet you. We are simply honored to try and help support them through this difficult time. Let us tell you a little about Alejandro’s medical journey.

A week after Alejandro's 21st birthday, and the day after Thanksgiving, he arrived home complaining of a sore ankle and mentioned that he’d like to set up an appointment to get it looked at. Thinking he might have twisted or strained his ankle, he was concerned about the pain and wanted to get it treated. On November 25th, Cynthia took him to a 24-hour Methodist ER Clinic located near their home to have it checked out. After some initial assessments, the thinking was that he might be having a bout of gout, but X-rays would help clarify this.

When the doctor came back into the room he said, "I'm sorry to tell you this but there is a cancerous tumor on your ankle." The words, even though they were a shock to both of them, didn’t sink in immediately. The doctor reviewed the X-ray and showed them where it was located. He then gave them the names of some oncologists at UTHSC-San Antonio. They went home shocked at what they had just learned. The following Monday they called the oncologist’s office but were unable to get an appointment for another week and a half. That same day, Cynthia came into the office and shared her experience with Dr. Melody Zamora. Through this discussion, Dr. Zamora let her know that she had a contact at MD Anderson, Dr. Mahvash, who might be willing to provide a second opinion on the situation and possibly help navigate this process. After reviewing the records and having a quick curbside consult on the phone, Dr. Mahvash confirmed the high probability of the osteosarcoma diagnosis and they were scheduled for an appointment that Friday, Dec. 1st. They traveled from San Antonio to Houston and met with Dr. Lewis who ordered blood work. They then met with the oncologist, Dr. Livingston, that same afternoon to confirm the diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. Alejandro had scans and x-rays performed in the 5 days he was there, and by Dec. 7th they had confirmed the type of specific osteosarcoma. Most importantly, it did not appear that the cancer had spread! The type of cancer Alejandro has typically affects younger children and usually appears in the knee, thigh, or jaw; very rarely on the ankle. On December 15, they traveled back to Houston from San Antonio to finalize a plan of treatment and they quickly started chemotherapy. His first chemo treatment was on Dec. 20th, and they gladly spent their Christmas and New Year's holidays in Houston at MD Anderson Hospital.

As of today March 2024, Alejandro has completed four rounds of chemo at MD Anderson, and his oncologist there at MD Anderson was able to get him scheduled to see a pediatric oncologist in San Antonio. One of many difficult decisions that he and his family have had to make is whether to amputate his leg or not. His doctor gave him two options on surgery, limb salvage or below-the-knee amputation. After weighing the pros and cons of limb salvage or amputation, Alejandro decided to move forward with below-the-knee amputation. Alejandro has spoken with other amputees and is very optimistic that this is the path he is meant to be on. He is hoping to have a few more rounds of chemotherapy to make sure the cancer is kept at bay before he has his surgery.

Throughout this whole process, Alejandro has been in great spirits and his outlook is always positive. His faith and the love and support from friends and family have been amazing.

On a personal note, Melody and I are thankful you have read this far and have learned about Alejandro’s journey. In the not-too-distant past, we accompanied another friend through a similar battle with osteosarcoma, and we saw first-hand the toll it takes on the individual and the family. The least of all we can do is try to help relieve some of the financial burden that comes with such a battle.

Alejandro, at 21 years old, is an extraordinary young man and is lucky to have the rest of his life to tell his story and make an impact on others. Alejandro and his family have an extremely positive outlook and recognize how lucky they are to have caught and treated this rare cancer in time. Furthermore, due to its uniqueness, the Lopez family has volunteered DNA and biological samples to be studied by the research team at MD Anderson to hopefully provide some insight into how this type of cancer forms. Thank you, Lopez family, for sharing your story and allowing us to find ways to help along your journey. If you are reading this, will you help too?

Sincerely,

Melody and David Zamora