Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Honorees
YAHIR SANCHEZ MARTINEZ
Mixed Germ Cell Tumor
Angel
Yahir was a son, a brother and a super good friend, a good student, a sportsman who played flag football, and enjoyed running. He won medals, he was very disciplined, he built things out of wood, a good carpenter, and a good boy.
It all started in November 2017 when he was playing football and someone fell on his knee during the game. He shrugged it off and we thought it was nothing because he wasn’t really hurt. On November 21 Yahir and I went to the Pomona Hospital, they ran so many tests and something was not normal. They sent us to Loma Linda Children’s Hospital where the testing continued and unfortunately they gave us the news that he had cancer.
Yahir was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer called MIXED GERM CELL TUMOR STAGE 4 HIGH RISK at 13 years old. He fought bravely for 8 months and endured many chemotherapy treatments, transplant, medications, new treatments that were submitted, radiation, and also received treatment in another state for a month.
Yahir continued through his treatments positively, even though his life had changed very quickly and he could not do what he always enjoyed doing. Yahir was supportive of the other children in the hospital who came to share the room with him, he always told them to keep fighting and not to give up.
Yahir took his last breath at dawn on July 21, 2018. He was always a young man with strong faith, extreme joy, a positive attitude, and a beautiful smile. He was happy, respectful, very friendly, polite, athletic and so many more things.
He taught us to always look forward believing in God because He has greater plans for you. Thanks to everyone at this foundation because your help for my son and for the whole family was a great blessing.
-Guadalupe Martinez, mother
Read More About Our Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Heroes
Read More About Our Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Heroes