Emily Progin, Content Manager
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COMMUNITY FUELING HOPE FOR FAMILY AFTER ALS DIAGNOSIS
Help the Camacho Family “Keep the Faith, and Never Give Up Hope”
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.—In September 2023, three small letters forever changed daily life for Monica Camacho and her loving family: ALS. Today, the community is rallying to fund key out-of-pocket expenses through a fundraising campaign with the trusted national nonprofit Help Hope Live.
Monica Camacho was born and raised in British Guiana, now Guyana. She moved to California with her husband and two daughters in 1993. Monica has had profound involvement in the Rancho Cucamonga community for decades, from “cooking up a storm” for relatives and friends to serving as the secretary for St. Ambrose Church.
Monica is the Classroom Grandma at Coyote Canyon Elementary School, where all the teachers asked her to help decorate their classrooms. At Ruth Musser Middle School, she adds her eye for décor to the annual book drive and sale and the end-of-the-trimester awards party.
“She attended every school event for me and Karen from kindergarten to college,” explained her daughter Michelle.
Monica continued that dedication to her family as she welcomed beloved granddaughter Victoria into her life. Now 17 years old, “Victoria is her heart and soul,” explained Michelle. “Victoria still curls up in Monica’s lap. They have an unspoken bond where they nestle their faces together and they just light up.”
Monica also shares a special bond with her “grandcats,” Snuggles and Aesir: “They are her care-fur-givers and they even travel wherever she goes.”
Within her family and beyond, giving back is simply a way of life for Monica. She has maintained an independent and active lifestyle into her early 70s full of community service. Just last year, “she made custom candles of hope for Relay for Life until her hands could no longer continue.”
Granddaughter Victoria has picked up the torch, serving as the team captain for a family team to fundraise to fight childhood cancer.
In early 2023, Monica began to get weaker, lose her balance, and experience fatigue. In September 2023, following multiple rigorous medical tests, her team finally found a shocking diagnosis: ALS.
In October 2023, the Camacho family was hit with a second unexpected blow. Monica’s husband, Joseph, experienced a stroke. Monica cared for her husband and remained by his side even as her own health continued to decline. “They are the epitome of unconditional love and each other’s world,” explained Michelle.
Today, Monica is living with rapidly evolving mobility and health challenges, and she relies on a power chair.
Her family has a clear goal in mind for Monica’s future: to secure what she needs to access precious quality time with her loved ones, fresh air, and as much freedom and mobility as possible.
An accessible van will be a life-changing upgrade to her life. However, it is not covered by insurance, leaving Monica’s family with a massive out-of-pocket financial burden on top of other critical medical expenses. That’s why they turned to the national nonprofit Help Hope Live to begin a medical fundraising campaign.
Donations can be made at: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/24217/
“This illness is terrifying, and the uncertainty takes a tremendous toll,” explained Michelle. “Our only option is to keep the faith, never give up hope, cherish the moments, and live the best life in the current situation.”
Unlike a GoFundMe campaign, donations to Help Hope Live are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be managed by the nonprofit to cover verified medical and related expenses. Help Hope Live verifies medical and financial need for every patient.
Help Hope Live is a national nonprofit that specializes in engaging communities in secure, tax-deductible fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness. Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised over $188 million to pay patient expenses. ###
