UVSC

Hope for Those Fighting Cancer

Previous Heroes

These are some of the UVSC Heroes that have received support from UVSC's Financial Assistance Program in the past, but are not actively receiving aid.

Brittney + Kian

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Meet UVSC Hero, Brittney, and her son, Kian. 
 
“My journey with breast cancer hasn’t been the easiest. Getting told that I have stage 4 breast cancer while five months pregnant was the scariest moment of my life. To be honest the first thought that went through my head was, “Am I going to die? Will my son be okay?” I remember sitting in my car crying my eyes out. I called my family & friends. Everyone prayed for me and in that moment I knew I had to fight for my life but also my son’s life.
So much medicines I had to take, going through chemotherapy, the amount of blood that needed to be drawn, the tiredness, the nausea, the hair loss, the many times I cried because I was so scared of everything that was happening.

I thank God everyday for my son who is here with me today, he’s healthy and that’s all I could ever ask for. My fight with cancer isn’t over, yet. We still have a long ways to go. Thank you to those who’ve checked in daily. I appreciate it so much. Keep me in prayer as I continue to navigate this journey🫶🏽.“
 
UVSC met Brittney during her final months of  pregnancy and has shared in her joy to see her baby son arrive safely. 
 
In addition to financial assistance for their out-of-pocket treatment costs, Brittney and Kian also received baby comfort items like clothing and blankets, from our friends at Coco Moon Hawaiʻi. 
 
Kian recently celebrated turning 6 months old and is happy, healthy and smiling all the time. 
 
 

 

 
 

Eva’Marih

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Meet UVSC Hero, Eva’Marih. Her mother, Jean, shared her story below:

Eva’Marih is seven years old and is in the first grand. She was an only child for 6 years before becoming a big sister. She would constantly ask me for a baby sister since she learned to talk. Her prayers (as she claims) had finally been answered last year when I learned that we were expecting a baby girl. We celebrated and were so excited to finally give her her “dream come true” (her exact words referring to her baby sister), when suddenly, a few weeks before baby was born, our whole world flipped, She had been having headaches on the last month of school and was constantly sent home because she wasn’t feeling well. We took her to the ER a few times and each time the results were a different diagnosis (strep B and hand foot mouth disease).

Finally with all her symptoms, she was finally ordered a CT scan and they found a tumor, called pineoblastoma, in her brain. 

She was immediately in the surgery room within minutes and admitted into the PICU. She went through 3 invasive surgeries in her brain to remove the tumor, radiation therapy, and is now going through chemotherapy
Despite everything she was going through, she was still very worried about me and the baby. I would be crying behind the curtains and she would call out and check on how the baby is doing and express how excited she was. She went through so much in the span of a month, yet she persevered and remained positive. When the baby was finally born, she became stronger and it seems like she remains strong because she wants her sister to look up to her.

She’s such a sweet, considerate, little girl and always tries her best. She loves to pass time by doing arts and crafts and “vlogging” her art work. Eva’Marih is now undergoing chemotherapy and still remains positive.

We’re very thankful for all the generous and kind people at UVSC, who have helped our family and lifted some burdens off our shoulders while we focus on her recovery and health. 

Jacob

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Meet UVSC Hero, Jacob Davis, a 36-year-old self-employed, small business owner working to support his wife and 4-year old daughter while also juggling cancer treatment. Mahalo for inspiring us with your strength and hope, Jacob!

In Hawaiʻi, more than half of households are struggling to make ends meet – even when there are two earners. UVSC is here to help families find breathing room when bills pile up so they have the moments they need for themselves and their families — and moments for peace, healing, and rest. You don’t have to face cancer alone. Letʻs make each moment count. 💫⏳

Francis

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Francis, a 63-year-old from Makawao, was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in October 2023. Since then, he and his wife, Renette, have been making regular trips to Oʻahu for treatment at Queen’s Cancer Center—often staying at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge in Honolulu. While Renette works as a preschool teacher, the financial strain of ongoing cancer care and household bills—on top of their mortgage—has taken a toll.

Now, as Francis prepares to travel to MD Anderson in Texas for a stem cell transplant, the couple faces new challenges. With Hope Lodge Houston at capacity, they’ll need to cover out-of-pocket lodging costs during their stay for Francis’ treatment and recovery, in addition to mounting bills for medical co-pays.

Still, their strength and love for each other remain unwavering.

UVSC’s assistance will help cover out-of-pocket expenses for Francis and Renette during this next phase of treatment—offering peace of mind and a reminder that they’re not alone in this fight.

Myriam

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Myriam, a 55-year old resident of Maui, bravely shares in her own words what her cancer journey has been like:

“It was a shower of ice cold water to hear my Oncologist confirm I had Large T cell NH lymphoma last Sept. 2024; harder still to know it is stage 4 via the results of a bone marrow biopsy the same month. It was divine the source of strength with which I walked the following days, weeks.  The hardest part was to communicate the news to my girls – now 21 years old and 18 years old. I had to go on TDI as of Oct. 2024 and was starving.  Applications and claims were taking too long! That is when I remembered my Oncologist had referred me to USVSC from the start.”

Despite demonstrating her cancer diagnosis to her landlord and verification of her reduced income warranting the need for a roommate to afford the rent, Myriam was not able to peacefully remain at her rental resident and was forced to seek out other housing. She also worked with other local organizations, such as Catholic Charities, for temporary rental assistance as she navigated her cancer diagnosis and limited income. UVSC has stepped into to provide rental assistance, as well as food and gas gift cards for Myriam’s essential needs so she can focus on regaining her health.

“USVC’s assistance implies peace of mind in the transition, a band aid to my soul restoring hope in human kind. On behalf of my 2 princesses and I, thank you so very much for your love, trust, compassion and kindness!” -Myriam

Rochelle

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Meet UVSC Hero, Rochelle, who is 24 years-old. She was married last year and shortly afterwards was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. Like many young women fighting cancer who hope to become mothers one day, she faced the possibility of future fertility issues due to chemotherapy and radiation. Fertility preservation services are not covered by most insurance plans and can cost patients $10,000-$20,000 to safeguard their futures.

UVSC’s assistance helped to cover essential needs for Rochelle’s household, like food, during her cancer treatment, and her out-of-pocket expenses for egg freezing.

“The UVSC Financial Assistance is a huge help for cancer patients like me.  It gave me hope.” – Rochelle

Maia

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Maia is an amazing and athletic teenager, with dreams of becoming an elementary school teacher and continuing her passion for surfing competitively. She began her fight against Ewing Sarcoma Cancer in her 6th rib on 5/10/24 at 15-years-old.  Ewing Sarcoma is a rare and aggressive cancer of the bone, especially affecting children and teenagers.  Maia’s treatment required urgent relocation to Cleveland Clinic to receive specialized care under specialist Dr. Anderson.
UVSC has provided financial assistance to ensure a smooth transition, and allowed Maia and her family (mom, dad, 13 year old brother and dog) to be by her side without the additional financial worries.
“We are so grateful for all the love and support that we received from UVSC during this difficult time.   Thank you UVSC for fighting with us.” – Kim, Maiaʻs mother

Solomone

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Meet one of the UVSC’s youngest warriors,  Solomone Lewis, from Kahuku, O’ahu. He is 3-years old and is the youngest of five siblings. Diagnosed in June 2023, Solo is bravely battling high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia having recently undergone chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy* infusion. Juggling steady employment and caring for their other children while also managing to be by Solo’s side at the hospital has been challenging for Solo’s parents, William and Kolotina. UVSC has provided financial support to cover past due rent payments and ensure the Lewises can be with Solo and give him the best fighting chance as he continues treatment. *Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a way to get immune cells called T cells (a type of white blood cell) to fight cancer by changing them in the lab so they can find and destroy cancer cells. CAR T-cell therapy is also sometimes talked about as a type of cell-based gene therapy, because it involves altering the genes inside T cells to help them attack the cancer.

Danilo

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“Aloha, my name is Danilo Aseo. I’m a 70 year-old immigrant (from the Philippines) that was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer at the end of last year. My wife and I have been in Hawaiʻi for over 10 years now. For the past 10 years, I worked in the agriculture industry. I was a farmer and enjoyed working on the outdoors. Unfortunately, due to my ill health, I haven’t been able to perform much of what I used to enjoy. I have been out of work since November of 2023, which placed us in a difficult financial situation.
Fortunately, I’ve met positive and generous individuals during my treatment which made this journey less frightening. I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to UVCS for providing us financial assistance. Thank you again for all your hard work and for always being on top of things. We truly appreciate you. 

And for those who are experiencing hardships in their cancer journey… Know that there’s people willing to help. Continue to have hope and keep fighting.”

In addition to managing Danilo’s cancer, he and his wife experienced additional financial hardship as a result of the Lahaina fires when the farm they worked for cut back their hours due to lack of tourism. In addition, the couple was suddenly evicted from their residence due to their landlord being foreclosed on. They were able to find temporary lodging with other family members until securing another rental a few months ago, but are still struggling due to reliance on a partial single income while Danilo is in treatment. UVSC has been able to provide rental assistance to ensure that Danilo and his wife/caregiver have safe and stable housing as he continues his cancer treatment and recovery.

Eric

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Meet UVSC Beneficiary, Eric. He is a single father of two teenage boys and is bravely battling Stage 3 colon cancer. After his family lost their home in the devastating Lahaina fires, he and his sons relocated to Kahului, but he is unable to work due to his medical condition and frequent doctor visits. Because English is not Eric’s primary language, his sons bravely take turns accompanying him to his doctor’s appointments to act as translators – oftentimes needing to miss school to do so. As he continues to navigate his cancer journey along with the challenges of finding permanent, affordable housing and caring for his sons, UVSC hopes to ease his family’s financial burden so he can continue to focus on healing, living and enjoying time with his sons. During the August wildfires on Maui, about 40% of the people living in Lahaina were of Filipino descent and many of those do not speak English as their primary language. This adds further difficultly and complexity to accessing fire relief and assistance services, and government benefits. UVSC is fortunate to have strong partnerships with other community organizations, like Pacific Cancer Foundation, whose skilled cancer navigators have been able to assist us with language translation and outreach to the Filipino community.

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