When Louis Mendiola was a young man, he served our country as a soldier in Vietnam. Years later, Mendiola, now 62 years old, had another fight on his hands: He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and primary amyloidosis. It was a double whammy for the Wichita Falls, Texas, man and his family.
Primary amyloidosis is a rare disorder where protein builds up in clumps in various organs in the body and can lead to congestive heart failure, kidney failure, and other not-so-pleasant organ failures. Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that technically is incurable. Things did not look good, but then the community rallied around Mendiola.
In 2016, a fundraiser was held. It began at 10 AM on May 21st with a motorcycle run, followed by five hours of live music and the chance to win tickets to major sporting events.
As his condition worsened, Mendiola was told that his only chance for survival was to undergo a peripheral stem cell transplant, which meant first going through a grueling round of chemotherapy, followed by three weeks of monitoring.
To help cover expenses, his daughter set up a GoFundme account, and the donations began to roll in.
Mendiola had the stem cell transplant and a recent update noted he is FREE from multiple myeloma and amyloidosis. He continues to recover and is grateful for the support of his friends, family, and the community–all of whom fought for him. Sometimes, life comes full circle!
