pastandfuturequeen:

pastandfuturequeen:

So I’m aware I haven’t really posted anything in a while but I hope this reaches someone. My brother’s name is Efren. Growing up he used to tease and make fun of me, but among all the teasing he also helped raise me along with our mom. When he was little he wanted to be an architect. But his is the story that a lot of Mexican American working class families face: either take the opportunities available to you to attain your dreams, or curtail those in order to take care of your family. He chose his family.

After graduating high school he turned down full ride scholarships in order to stay and work to help pay the bills. It was just him, my mom, and me. After a couple of years we got stable enough economically that he was able to go to college, but after graduation we fell on hard times again and instead of finding work in his field or applying to architecture school like he always dreamed, he decided to stick around and help us again. It’s because of his choice to help our family that I was able to go to college too, something that for a time I didn’t think was possible. It’s because of him that I was able to apply to and get accepted into a PhD program in the hopes of becoming a professor. It’s because of him that my mom has a house to call her own. My mom and I owe him everything.

Yesterday, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). He’s uninsured. I’m a student, our mom works in childcare. There’s a high success rate for remission if he gets treatment, but we can’t afford it. He’s all me and my mom have, and we can’t lose him. He chose family growing up, and it’s my turn to choose him. Please, any donation helps. I just want him to come home.

I know times are tough with covid and everything so if anyone could please just spare a dollar or a reblog thatd be great. I can’t lose him.

paypal.com/Yulenni

cash.me/$pastandfuturequeen

venmo: @Yulenni

https://gofund.me/832d4f6e

Update: 1/20/2021 11:30AM PST

First off, thank y’all so so much for the generosity, advice, and kind words y’all have shared. I honestly thought this might get a couple hundred notes I didn’t know it would get over 12k!!!! I’m so incredibly thankful to everyone who’s reblogged and donated and messaged me. Y’all truly don’t know how much it means to me and my family.

Now I wanna post a couple updates here. A lot of y’all pointed out that hospitals should have financial aid or pointed out some charities that could help, and for that I’m very thankful. Yesterday we applied to the hospital financial aid but they told us that he likely only qualifies for a 50% discount on their sliding scale because of income. We’re incredibly thankful for that help of course, but 50% of $30k/month is still $15k/month for treatment. I also spent yesterday applying to different cancer charities and Catholic charities and Latino charities and government assistance but ofc cancer related assistance is in really high demand and a lot of charities are strained thin because of covid and people losing their jobs.

I’m incredibly grateful for y’all’s extreme generosity, so far through the gofundme, Venmo, cashapp, and PayPal we’ve received $8,327.64 and I’m absolutely blown away. I’m in tears writing this I didn’t know people could be so generous. I know times are tough with covid and a lot of families are going through the unimaginable. I don’t know how much more this post can circulate on tumblr, so now I’m just asking if y’all could do this:

Please spread this post and the gofundme link on your other social media.

I’ve made this post on Twitter that y’all can retweet (link) but I don’t have Instagram or Facebook or Reddit because I’m admittedly kind of a hermit. So I’m incredibly thankful for everything y’all have done, I’m just hoping that maybe some of y’all will spare a retweet or a repost and help get the word out to as many people as possible. Thank y’all. God bless.

Help Efren Pay Leukemia Bills, organized by Yulenni Venegas

This is my brother, Efren. Growing up he used to tease and make fun of me, but among all… Yulenni Venegas needs your support for Help Efren

gofundme.com