Vallecito, CA…Friends of Rosendo Rojas, the 24 year old Vallecito resident who is waging an heroic battle against a rare form of terminal brain cancer, are rallying behind him by organizing ways to raise funds to help meet the mounting costs that are not covered by insurance. The Bret Harte High School graduate was diagnosed in April 2013 with a rare form of terminal brain cancer, Grade III anaplastic ganglioglioma. Having already defied the odds by outliving his initial prognosis, Rojas recently had a three-hour seizure at Sonora Regional Hospital and was helicoptered to the intensive care unit at UC Davis Medical Center. While there an emergency MRI showed new tumor regrowth and a third emergency craniotomy was done on March 4th. Only 90% could be removed and it’s been elevated to a Grade IV GBM – glioblastoma multiforme, with very poor survival odds…

“We can only imagine the amount of medical, travel, and other bills not covered by insurance,” states Suki Tuthill, who working on the fundraising effort. “There is no quick fix, no cure, but the family is adamantly determined to provide Quality of Life.

“Over the years Rosendo had become quite an artistic and creative photographer. He would love to be able to help with his medical bills by sharing and selling his art. This would help him so much with his self esteem and he would feel like he is leaving a legacy.”

Preparations are underway to have some of Rojas’ photographs printed on canvas by Gateway Press, in Murphys, and stretched onto wood by Victoria’s Framing in Angels Camp. They would then be offered for sale throughout the county at such locations as Market 49 in Angels Camp and Sierra Nevada Adventure Company (SNAC) in Murphys. Seed money is needed to get this phase of the fundraising started.

Gail Bunge and Trudy Lackey, of Murphys, have set up a GoFundMe account for the fundraising effort. It is called Help Rosendo Beat Brain Cancer and may be accessed by going to www/gofundme.com/s5w6hes. Everyone is encouraged to share this information with friends through social media.

“Rosendo is a remarkable young man,” says Bunge. “Despite his restrictions, he just recently earned his AA degree from Columbia College. He deserves all the support we can give him.”

Rojas was a percussionist with the Calaveras Community Band during his middle and high school years. The band raised money at its 2013 fall concert to help him wage his battle.
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