Hi my name is Patty Vela. I’m a caregiver for my husband Ruben Vela who was diagnosed in June of 2019 with Pancreatic Cancer stage III. Our lives were great. Our two daughters were finishing school. We live in Laredo, Texas.
Sadly we are medically undeserved, when Ruben was first diagnosed. We were given no hope. We transferred my husband to San Antonio where we were given hope. A treatment plan was in motion, we prayed for the best and prepared for the worst as we started our cancer journey. Luckily, I had been part of Relay, and I had the 1-800 # on my phone, they guided us to what we needed and assisted us with lodging. After 27 rounds of chemo and several bumps in the road, Ruben became a candidate for surgery called the Whipple. After his recovery he received 32 rounds of radiation and 8 rounds of chemo. After treatment, we were told run home and to put him in a bubble. A virus was spreading, and they were not sure how bad this would be for Ruben since his body was weak from everything he had endured. This virus was COVID.
5 years later,we are trying to help others. During Rubens journey we had several friends battling cancer. Unfortunately several lost their battle. One friend was very involved with ACS and I promised her to get involved again and continue to help make a difference in the fight against cancers in the hope of a cure for a better future for all. As a family we enjoy every moment making memories. I recently retired to become a Full time Glamma to a beautiful baby girl that has given us more reasons to celebrate life and more birthdays. Our new Motto is “Don’t Postpone Joy”