In our parish, there are some people who come to help us with cleaning to receive a food basket, among them is Viviana: a twenty-eight year old woman, who has gone through a very difficult journey to get to where she is today.
Two years ago, she felt a very strong pain in her belly, for which she went to the nearest doctor to find out what was wrong. She was given many diagnoses: psychotropic pregnancy, cysts, or appendix failure, giving her medication for each condition, but her condition did not improve.
After several studies, she agreed to have a pap smear, and it came back positive for cervical cancer, being detected in the terminal stage.
Unfortunately, she also contracted kidney failure due to the amount of pills she was taking, so she had to find a place to go for the treatment required for her medical condition.
The news of her illness filled her with hopelessness, fear, and above all loneliness, because without a job, without support from her parents, without economic support for her 3 children, what was she going to do?
Her feelings were very similar to when she was 9 years old, when due to the death of her father, her mother remarried a man who made Viviana’s life impossible. Because she could no longer stand the abuse she received, she decided to leave home at the age of 15 and lived with the man who would become the father of her children. He hurt her a lot, as he was involved in an illicit business, and they separated when he was arrested for it.
Because of her ties with her partner, she was arrested as well, being treated unfairly for the crime committed by him. She entered prison while pregnant, having very much in mind what she did not want her children to take as an example of life. When she got out, she tried to look for a job, but her opportunities were very limited.
Every week he must go to the city of Mexicali to receive his chemotherapy, since it is very expensive to receive treatment in Tijuana.
She manages to finance this thanks to some economic help she receives from one of her relatives, which is only enough to go to and from her treatment. But even when she attends her appointments, she may not receive chemo, since the machines with which they apply it are very old, and usually break down.
She tells us that her main driving force is her 3 children, and that she feels in her heart that it is not yet time to leave this world, until her children are able to fend for themselves.
For Viviana, in spite of everything that has happened in her life, she keeps her faith and perseveres in it, because according to her words: “Doctors may say mass, but God is the one who has the last word”.
She currently needs to be able to pay for her chemotherapy in Tijuana so she can work and support her family. With your help it will be much easier for her to get through her journey. May God bless your generosity.
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