Santiago is 13 years old. Prior to his cancer diagnosis, he loved to play soccer, work on art, play video games, loved cycling, and doing crafts. In September of 2021 he started to present with some concerning symptoms. He started having pain in his neck and after a week the pain reached his left arm. He lost movement in his arm and that’s when mom was concerned. She immediately took him to the Emergency Room on October 11 and things escalated quickly. He was admitted to the hospital and rushed into surgery. Five days after the surgery they received confirmation that he had a tumor and it was cancerous. He was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, stage 4.

He received chemotherapy and radiation as part of his treatment plan, but his health hasn’t been restored. He has lost movement on his arms and legs and has spent almost the entire last year in bed.

Santiago is living day to day. At the moment there are no future plans because his health continues to be very delicate constantly. His family continues to think positive thoughts and hope for healing. Santiago’s biggest dream for his future is to become a scientist and serve in the United States Army.