Javier
This is the story of Javier:
Javier Amezcua’s cancer journey can be described in two words: love and sacrifice.
Born in Mexico, Javier was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at just five years old following a series of illnesses. His mother, who had been promoted, had to make an abrupt decision to leave her new role to take Javier to the U.S. for treatment.
At first, the two traveled back and forth for weeks so Javier’s cancer could be treated. But the travel proved to be too much, and, ultimately, his mother had to leave the support of her family in Mexico to move Javier and his older sister to the U.S. fulltime so that he could receive treatment at University Medical Center in Las Vegas.
“It was a struggle coming from a different country, learning a new language and starting school,” Javier described, “My biological dad was in Mexico at the time. The situation caused both of them to start splitting, causing them to divorce, so he left. But, my mom did not go on without support from her best friend who tagged along with us. They eventually found love in each other. Eventually, they got married and I was able to call him my dad. He was a big help to her. So, now I have my older sister and two younger siblings.”
At 10, Javier completed his chemotherapy after having had a relapse at eight years old. “Some of my memories are hazy, but I can remember my mom coming into the room in tears and hugging me. I didn’t know what was going on, she just said, ‘You’re going to be okay, mijo.’”
“She would have to bribe me to drink the fluids needed for the CAT scans by telling me we could get me some kind of snack or something I’d like if I would drink the fluid. I was too young to understand, if I had been older - I would have done it without hesitation,” recalled Javier.
“When you stop going to treatment at age 10, you start to understand more. As I learned more about what cancer was, I began to develop anxiety even though my treatment was in the past,” revealed Javier. “I noticed during high school I was developing slower than the other kids, I was definitely late to gain muscle or strength. I had been bullied in elementary school for wearing a beanie while it was 90 plus outside and not to mention the language barrier was unforgiving.”
“Around 2007 I was introduced to the Teen Scene at Candlelighters. That was the best therapy I could have had. I had never met other cancer survivors my age. I didn’t want to come out and tell people I had cancer, but at Teen Scene, I felt like I could talk about it,” reminisced Javier. “There was no pressure to feel bad for me, or for me to feel bad for you. Nobody wants pity. It made it a lot easier to digest because of what Candlelighters gave us with camp and events. It made us feel like it’s okay to be who we are.”
“We do our best to stay involved, regardless of what’s going on in our lives,” Javier added. At 28, Javier now has the benefit of years to put his journey into use for the help of others. “When I was younger, I didn’t have a voice. Now, I get to help others find their voice. For those who have cancer, they don’t have much of an option. But, they can get help in easing the pain by seeking support from the people around them who are going through the same journey. It’s important to understand the difference between what you have control of and what you don’t. It’s all a mental game. The mind is the most powerful medicine you can have. You just need to reach your hand out and wait for someone to grab it."
