Hey everyone! This is Rachel Pineda. My uncle, Ruben Pineda, has been suffering from cancer for the last 2 years and will NOT be with us for much longer.
He was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer in April 2023. Because of this, he had to go through Chemo, Radiation and Surgery to remove part of his rectal intestine. Unfortunately, his cancer is still there. In addition, he is now always in pain when he is moving his bowels because of complications in his surgery that have resulted in scarring. His doctor’s latest finding is to go through another surgery to fix the scarring.
He had to be let go from work in 2023 as his medical treatments were interfering with his work. In the past 2 years, he was relying on Medicaid and Social Security Disability benefits. However, due to the new administration, his Medicaid was removed, and he is only on regular Social Security now. His Social Security stipend hardly covers his expenses like rent, utilities, medications, etc. Even when his siblings - my dad Rommel and my aunt Wendy - have been sending him money monthly to help him out, it is NOT enough to pay for all his necessary needs.
My uncle Ruben, who lives alone in Orlando Florida, is 65 years old. We are fortunate that my aunt Toni lives nearby so she can check on his condition from time to time.
My uncle had been one of my champions when I was diagnosed with autism. He says I am his favorite niece. I want to give back. I want to return the kindness he had shown me through the years. Thus, I thought of this project.
Any financial help from you will be greatly appreciated. I also know these are hard times. I will understand if you cannot donate. However, I will appreciate it if you could include my uncle in your prayers.
Thank you for your support.
