From a Hodgkin's Lymphoma Diagnosis to a Survivor's Story: A Personal Journey for Cancer Treatment in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

[00:00:04] Jay, My name is... I am the wife of Joseph Ray, Robert, Gabriel, All four names together. We live in Canada, in Vancouver.

[00:00:27] Well, for me, it was even more devastating news because during that time, I was in Ukraine. My father passed away, and then my mother suffered a brain hemorrhage. And the third piece of news that completely broke me was that he had cancer.

[00:00:49] With chemotherapy as quickly as possible. So the hospital arranged for me to go to Memorial Hospital within a relatively short period of time. So, by the end of January, or February, I started my first therapy.

[00:01:07] Well, when we returned to Vancouver, it was the kind of news that puts you on high alert. You feel lost and don't know what to do. Some time passed, and I could see that he wasn't doing well.

[00:01:33] North Vancouver... White Rock... Would they do any blood tests? You know, because they said they couldn't help me.

[00:01:46] So I didn't have much of a choice. I can't explain exactly how it happened, but the numbers were already going down. So because I tend to panic, I became very concerned and pushed them to do something, because honestly, his condition and the way he was coping had me very worried.

[00:02:15] Thirty days later, they performed another blood test. And when I had that blood test, that's when they told me that my blood count was around six, or what they called my marker was six.

[00:02:29] And they said I wasn't expected to live much longer if they couldn't bring it down any further.

[00:02:36] Ah... And that's when we started looking for options. I began asking questions so that I could follow up on his previous checkups and test results, as well as his current ones. And I could see that the numbers were already going down. I can't say exactly what the figures mean, but they were decreasing.

[00:03:15] So I knew my time was running out.

[00:03:19] Well, other clinics... I contacted approximately three other clinics, but they wouldn't even accept the treatment or procedures that I needed.

[00:03:38] It was beyond their scope. And so that's what led me to immunotherapy. Basically, what I wanted was to have my condition properly taken care of.

[00:03:53] I didn't have any other choice, whether financially or otherwise. When we contacted several other clinics, many of them gave us negative responses. The thing is, at that point, you don't really have another alternative.

[00:04:25] In a few years, or perhaps in a matter of days, when they conduct more tests, I'll know what my cancer marker level is. If it has dropped below that level or reached zero, then I'll know I may live longer than the 12 to 18 months I was given. So that's that's the bottom line. Yeah. Keeping in mind that everyone's body is different, expectations need to remain low because no one really knows what the outcome will be, and that's what's important. And I would recommend coming to a clinic rather than undergoing chemotherapy because I think people could have a better quality of life and enjoy a better life.

[00:05:11] Honestly, I found your clinic quite unexpectedly. I don't know how, but I searched for stem cells on Google, and your clinic's name appeared. Then I started speaking with someone. I don't remember her last name, but she seemed like a very kind person. Her name was Brenda, and she explained absolutely everything in great detail, including how the entire treatment process would work. She also offered us a video call, an appointment with the doctor. I wasn't present at that time, but I know that Ray spoke directly with the doctor and was also satisfied with the information he received. I would say one thing: the experience was excellent, but it also depends on the people living in that country, because we know that people in Latin America are very kind, friendly, and attentive. We are very grateful for the way everyone treated us so well. He felt comfortable, just like he was with his own family.

[00:06:26] And I think what matters most is that his spirits are improving, and this will help him throughout his treatment. He will get better.

[00:06:46] This is the second case in my family that we have had to face involving this kind of illness. What can I say? Receiving this kind of news is truly devastating, and it always brings a sense of fear. But I have never forgotten the expression in Spanish... "Don't give up." Keep moving forward. There is always a way to find a solution, and I believe this type of treatment will have great success in the future.

I certainly think so. Of course, I would recommend it. Right now, on the very same day, it's difficult to say for certain. We still need to wait and see the results, but everything involved in this treatment, I believe, will give us very good results. No, it makes me feel warm inside and more confident that things will turn out very well for us.