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Saving Isaiah: Family copes with condition; finances a struggle
| Upbeat: Despite his medical condition, Isaiah Martinez is like most children. He enjoys watching cartoons and is especially fond of Spiderman. (Thelma Grimes/photo.) |
Thelma Grimes
San Pedro Valley News-Sun
From Benson to Tombstone to Tucson, residents all over are contributing to the fight to save 7-year-old Isaiah Martinez.
Battling the odds and fighting a rare tumor in the brain stem, Martinez remains upbeat while his family takes steps to seek the treatment that they hope will save his life.
With medical costs mounting, a golf tournament at Turquoise Hills Family Golf Center raised more than $5,000 and Wal-Mart also hosted an event in Martinez's honor.
Martinez was diagnosed last September. His grandmother, Trudy Altamirano, said about a year ago Martinez started showing symptoms.
His eyeball seemingly just fell to the corner of his eye, and the eye doctor first said he might need surgery. Then he started having trouble with his balance.
"He started school and was doing just fine, but his eye started acting funny, Altamirano said. "Then around Labor Day he started walking funny and losing his balance."
After a brain scan showed the tumor, the prognosis for Martinez was grim. Altamirano explained that doctors said his chance of survival is slim because the tumor is inoperable. If it begins to grow, he will have even less time.
"At first they told us he might have seven to 12 months, and if it started growing, then maybe two to four months," Altamirano said. "The tumor started growing in December."
With an operation out of the question, Altamirano said accepting that the tumor was just going to take over was not an option. That's when the family found an unproven form of treatment in Houston.
Because it is experimental, insurance will not cover the costs of treatment. Altamirano said they would never want to bring this much attention to her grandson's condition, but the family needs help with financing.
"When we found out he could be treated, we put $20,000 on the credit card to get things started," she said. "We started treatment in September and have enough to cover this month, but we don't know how we are going to pay for upcoming months."
Martinez requires around-the-clock treatment with cost for his care well over $7,600 a month. The family has become regular customers at University Medical Center in Tucson.
Altamirano said they used to live in Cochise County, but with frequent trips to the hospital, they moved into Tucson just off Houghton Road.
The family is looking for help to pay medical bills because Martinez is progressing with treatment. With a tumor that can double in size every two weeks, Altamirano said the family was happy and somewhat relieved when the last scan showed a 5 percent reduction.
"That means the treatment is working," she said. "It was a good sign that it is getting smaller, but he could be on this treatment for six months to a year."
Altamirano said Martinez will get another scan in April.
Talking about her grandson before the cancer, Altamirano said in a group of kids he would be the most hyper out of the bunch. One photo shows him smiling in a tree.
Today, Martinez lacks energy and is showing the effects of requiring medical care since last year.
Because he is on steroids, he is bigger but still has a happy personality. In a room decorated with Spiderman, his favorite superhero, Martinez watches cartoons and smiles, showing signs of the once hyper child.
Altamirano said while paying medical bills is always a concern, the hardest part of the ordeal is watching what her grandchild is going through.
"Through chemo, through radiation, through all these treatments, these kids go through hell," she said.
Altamirano said the family has researched online and will continue to do whatever they can to save Martinez.
Donations can be made to save Martinez at any Bank of America location under the account name of Turdy Altamirano-Isaiah's Account or by contacting Altamirano at isaiahmartinez@live.com.
San Pedro Valley News-Sun
From Benson to Tombstone to Tucson, residents all over are contributing to the fight to save 7-year-old Isaiah Martinez.
Battling the odds and fighting a rare tumor in the brain stem, Martinez remains upbeat while his family takes steps to seek the treatment that they hope will save his life.
With medical costs mounting, a golf tournament at Turquoise Hills Family Golf Center raised more than $5,000 and Wal-Mart also hosted an event in Martinez's honor.
Martinez was diagnosed last September. His grandmother, Trudy Altamirano, said about a year ago Martinez started showing symptoms.
His eyeball seemingly just fell to the corner of his eye, and the eye doctor first said he might need surgery. Then he started having trouble with his balance.
"He started school and was doing just fine, but his eye started acting funny, Altamirano said. "Then around Labor Day he started walking funny and losing his balance."
After a brain scan showed the tumor, the prognosis for Martinez was grim. Altamirano explained that doctors said his chance of survival is slim because the tumor is inoperable. If it begins to grow, he will have even less time.
"At first they told us he might have seven to 12 months, and if it started growing, then maybe two to four months," Altamirano said. "The tumor started growing in December."
With an operation out of the question, Altamirano said accepting that the tumor was just going to take over was not an option. That's when the family found an unproven form of treatment in Houston.
Because it is experimental, insurance will not cover the costs of treatment. Altamirano said they would never want to bring this much attention to her grandson's condition, but the family needs help with financing.
"When we found out he could be treated, we put $20,000 on the credit card to get things started," she said. "We started treatment in September and have enough to cover this month, but we don't know how we are going to pay for upcoming months."
Martinez requires around-the-clock treatment with cost for his care well over $7,600 a month. The family has become regular customers at University Medical Center in Tucson.
Altamirano said they used to live in Cochise County, but with frequent trips to the hospital, they moved into Tucson just off Houghton Road.
The family is looking for help to pay medical bills because Martinez is progressing with treatment. With a tumor that can double in size every two weeks, Altamirano said the family was happy and somewhat relieved when the last scan showed a 5 percent reduction.
"That means the treatment is working," she said. "It was a good sign that it is getting smaller, but he could be on this treatment for six months to a year."
Altamirano said Martinez will get another scan in April.
Talking about her grandson before the cancer, Altamirano said in a group of kids he would be the most hyper out of the bunch. One photo shows him smiling in a tree.
Today, Martinez lacks energy and is showing the effects of requiring medical care since last year.
Because he is on steroids, he is bigger but still has a happy personality. In a room decorated with Spiderman, his favorite superhero, Martinez watches cartoons and smiles, showing signs of the once hyper child.
Altamirano said while paying medical bills is always a concern, the hardest part of the ordeal is watching what her grandchild is going through.
"Through chemo, through radiation, through all these treatments, these kids go through hell," she said.
Altamirano said the family has researched online and will continue to do whatever they can to save Martinez.
Donations can be made to save Martinez at any Bank of America location under the account name of Turdy Altamirano-Isaiah's Account or by contacting Altamirano at isaiahmartinez@live.com.
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