By Doris Gallan, volunteer

The wife of one of FoodBank Lakeside’s most stalwart and long-term volunteers is facing cancer and a malfunctioning heart, and we’re hoping to get her some help.

Javier Carranza Cruz has volunteered with FoodBank Lakeside since the organization began, just at the start of the Covid pandemic. He drives his pickup truck around the community of Santa Cruz with the back full of despensas—small cartons of eggs and large bags of food filled with beans, rice, and other staples. 

He says (in Spanish): “I like helping others through the distribution of food provided by the food bank.” When asked what he would like to say to the people who contribute, Javier was quick to say, “The community appreciates this support very much.” 

There are, according to Javier, approximately 70 families in Santa Cruz who benefit from the monthly delivery of despensas. He is well-known in the community, says FoodBank Lakeside Director of Volunteers Steve Motenko. “You can ask anyone in Santa Cruz about Javier and where he lives and they’ll point the way to his home.”  Motenko and his wife Karen have partnered with Javier in delivering despensas in Santa Cruz twice a month for almost three years. “He’s a prince among men,” Motenko added with a smile. “He’s always reliable, incredibly hard-working, and he’s a rare combination of efficiency and friendliness in connecting with our despensa recipients.”

Javier and his wife Rosario will soon celebrate 45 years of marriage. They have five children: three boys and two girls, all married and living away from home. When asked how many grandchildren they have, Rosario counted them off on her fingers–by name–coming up with 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Seven months ago, a mammogram and an ultrasound indicated that Rosario had a tumor in her right breast. A biopsy confirmed the initial diagnosis of cancer. They hope it will be removed without the need for a mastectomy. Rosario will learn whether the tumor alone or the entire breast will be removed only at the time of the surgery–a surgery that will cost more than 80,000 pesos, which Javier and Rosario cannot currently afford. 

Both were born in Santa Cruz and have lived in the community their entire lives. For the past 20 years, they have run a small convenience store at the front of their modest home. Javier has worked as a laborer and an ironworker in the past but these days doesn’t have steady work.  

They also are recipients of the despensas that help them survive the lack of steady work and the high cost of the medications she must take. Rosario has been living with diabetes for 20 years and has taken insulin for the last decade. She also takes medications to control her high blood pressure. 

Six years ago, doctors realized that half of Rosario’s heart is barely functioning. Her doctor, she says, told her, “I don’t know how you are still alive” because of her malfunctioning heart. It’s unknown whether Rosario was born with this condition or whether it developed later in life. She says she is sometimes short of breath, feels nauseous, and sees flashes of color before her eyes. 

They suspect that many of Rosario’s health problems are linked to her diabetes or to the medications she takes for her various conditions as these affect her kidneys and liver. She says that while certain medications may help with one condition, they sometimes cause side effects that lead to more medicines to treat the side effects. Rosario held up the bags of medicines she must take saying, “It sometimes feels like we have our own pharmacy rather than a convenience store.” 

She will shortly be further examined to ensure her heart is of sufficient health to undergo surgery on the breast tumor. 

The 80,000 pesos cost of the surgery as well as the cost of chemotherapy to follow, anticipated to amount to about 100,000 pesos in total, is causing a lot of stress for the couple. Javier says: “We don’t have enough money to cover these costs.” Other doctors in Guadalajara charge about 200,000 to 250,000 pesos, so they feel they will get better value paying 80,000 pesos at the Civil Hospital in the city. 

As their only income is earned through their small tienda, Javier jokes that they might have to sell their small house and live on the street. They do not have seguro social or insurance to cover these mounting medical costs. The government does not help by providing insurance or medical coverage. 

Javier says they would greatly appreciate any help the Lakeside community might be able to provide them, and any amount would help.

To donate toward Rosario’s medical expenses, please contact Steve Motenko, Director of Volunteer Management at FoodBank Lakeside, at VolunteersFBL@gmail.com