Santos Arreola

My name is Michael Quijas. You may know me, you may of heard of me, or you may have just stumbled upon my blog by mistake but here I am. Tonight and this weekend I have a big decision to make. There's not much thought into the decision but still I've decided to think long and hard about this decision. Confused? Let me explain.

There's a beautiful little boy and his name is Santos. Santos Christian Arreola age 5. You may have read his story on Christmas Day on the front page of the Kansas City Star http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/951848.html . He has been fighting a brain tumor but things have taken a turn for the worst. They say Santos will not be here next year at this time due to the fact that the treatments aren't working. Doctors recommend halting all treatments and letting the little man enjoy his time. As the professionals say - quality of life versus quantity. Tough stuff.

Santos' Mother is Leticia Garcia. Leticia is a single mother living at home with her parents. Her demeanor or composure is always cool and collected. She is my friend. I met the mother and son while Kaylee was admitted in CMH. Santos was recovering from a Bone Marrow Transplant and Kaylee was fighting her battle. We talked briefly but it wasn't until April or May when we met again for the Alex's Lemonade commercial. I recruited children for the commercial and one of those recruits were Santos. He enjoyed his time in front of the camera and his time on the field!

Leticia has to make some quick decisions. First she has to figure out what else can be done. Where else can she go. Are there any alternative treatments worth pursuing. Leticia needs to find money. She needs someone to tell her story. She needs a loud voice. That's where I come in.

I'm still exhausted from the Kerry Magana fight. The heartbreak of losing Kerry is also tough. I have to dig deep to find the energy to start the Santos Arreola Campaign. The thing that motivates me is the fact that I know I could be of help to the Garcia family. I know I could organize, recruit, and get exposure for the fundraising. We will need to raise a lot of money immediately so Leticia can pursue treatments elsewhere.

The Kerry Magana fight was a political fight. It was a red tape battle and we succeeded. We also succeeded at finding a donor during the Bone Marrow Drive. But this new battle will be different. It will be raising money and raising money quickly. This thing called cancer will not wait for good intentions or promises so I need to get going quickly. I only hope that I can produce the results needed.

I was going to accept an invitation for the Man of the Year Event for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society but it looks like I might have to decline. This year I might have to focus all my energy on Santos. I need to help save his life. If the tables were turned I would do anything to save my kid. Seriously. I would beg, plead, promise, and cry to anyone if I thought that it would help my child. I would want anyone and everyone in my corner. So I might have to put my self-promotion campaign for the LLS on the back burner so I can get to work on this new campaign for life!