Rachel Peters
In just the past few months, senior Jessica Gonzalez and junior Sabrina Gonzalez’s mom, Lisa, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. While the Gonzalez family is trying to let the news soak in and at the same time adapt to several new changes in their lives, they have found several ways to cope with it.
One of the biggest accomplishments their family has made during this time is creating an organization called “Team Lisa” to help raise money for their mother.
“We started doing this because it helps provide for her organic food and doing all the juicing with the fruits and vegetables to help with her diet now that she has cancer,” Sabrina said.
The Gonzalez family made t-shirts that say “Team Lisa” and “Kicking Cancer in the Throat!” They have made sweatshirts that come in both zip-ups and hoodies as well as two different kinds of wrist bands supporting their mother.
They first got the idea of designing t-shirts when Lisa’s friend wanted to design a shirt for the Gonzalez family during her chemo treatments. Shortly after her friend thought of this idea, Lisa saw a saying that said “Punch it in the throat” and that’s how she came up with the saying for her t-shirts “Punching cancer in the throat.”
When their products first came out, several people had been buying them in honor of Lisa and her family, which has helped the Gonzalez family tremendously. But there has been some recent struggle with raising more money for their mom.
Despite the fact that not as many people are purchasing their t-shirts, sweatshirts, and headbands anymore, the Gonzalez family still has a positive outlook on the situation.
More than anything, Lisa loves and appreciates the support her family and friends have given her. Several families have also brought meals over to the Gonzalez’s house to help them.
“It makes me smile and totally lifts my spirits,” Lisa said. “I don’t know how people go through this fight alone. ‘Team Lisa’ is a huge help and boost for me emotionally.”
People who have purchased the ‘Team Lisa’ shirts have worn them when they travel to places all over the world as well. Lisa’s Facebook page gives these people a chance to post pictures of them wearing her shirts.
“The Facebook page is also a huge boost for me,” Lisa said. “The first day we sold t shirts, my family posted on Facebook that we all would be at Hilltop to sell some shirts. When we got there, 75 people were there to purchase shirts and walk around the park to support me. I immediately started to cry when I saw how many people showed up. It was overwhelming.”
While there are times the Gonzalez family struggles greatly with this recent news, they still have more faith than ever now, and know that with the strength and love from a family, nothing is impossible, and there is always hope.
