(The following story by Jane Moorman appeared on The Valencia County News-Bulletin website on January 20. Tara Alderete is the daughter of BLET Member Rick Fuller, who serves as Secretary-Treasurer of BLET Division 446.)
BELEN, N.M. — Los Lunas The fires will be stoked and the pans of carnitas will be fried Saturday, Jan. 22, at the Sheriff’s Posse building in Belen for a benefit matanza for Tara and Jedediah Alderete to help them offset the cost of Tara’s cancer therapy.
The couple’s life changed in June from students at New Mexico State University working on their master’s degrees and waiting for their first child to battling cancer when they discovered a tumor in Tara’s abdomen.
Halfway through an otherwise normal pregnancy, the couple received the news that a very large tumor originating from Tara’s abdominal muscle would soon be competing with their baby for space inside her body.
After being shuffled from doctor to doctor, the Alderetes ended up at the University of New Mexico Cancer Center. Following discussions with the surgeon and perinatologist and many prayers, Tara underwent a major surgery in June 2004.
“The surgery involved having the tumor removed, as well as part of my abdominal muscle and diaphragm,” said Tara, the daughter of Rick and Tammy Fuller.
Two weeks after the surgery, the Alderetes received news that no 24-year-old couple expecting their first child would expect — the tumor was cancerous.
Tara was diagnosed with sarcoma — a rare and aggressive type of cancer that affects 10,000 people each year, making up only 1 percent of all cancers. The specific type of sarcoma — synovial cell sarcoma — typically occurs in extremities of the body, but, in Tara’s case, it originated in her abdominal muscle.
There’s no known cause for the disease, but its victims typically include children and young adults.
The typical course of treatment would include a very intense chemotherapy regimen, but this could not be done while Tara was pregnant. The young couple immediately made the decision to keep the baby and take the risks associated with it.
On Oct. 21, a healthy baby boy, Ethan Rick, was added to the Alderete family. Soon afterwards, a CT scan revealed nodules in Tara’s lungs, which severely decreases the survival statistics for this disease.
“After receiving news, our goal was to now prolong life instead of curing the cancer,” Tara said.
To do so, the Alderetes, including 2-month-old Ethan, traveled to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston during Christmas week for a second opinion. That same week, they moved back to Los Lunas.
In Houston, the couple was advised to start Tara on intense chemotherapy treatment, which would include Tara being hospitalized for several days at a time, and, in itself, has a 5 percent chance of giving Tara another type of deadly cancer.
The chance of this putting the cancer into remission is still small, but the couple remains hopeful, they said.
Despite the chemotherapy, Tara says she feels great. “I wouldn’t even know there was anything wrong if it weren’t for the test that showed the cancer in my lungs,” she said.
Facing the challenges, the Alderetes have turned to their spiritual faith.
“We will remain hopeful despite whatever the doctors say, because our hope comes from the Lord,” says Jedediah.
The couple and all of their family and friends have spent the past six months praying that Tara will be healed and can raise her beautiful young son.
“We all carry around packets of Bible verses related to healing and prayer to remind us about our faith wherever we are,” said Tara, the granddaughter of Rex and Ramona Fuller and Jay and Bobbie Kezele.
The couple has also been learning a lot about natural foods and medicines. They have found an abundance of information about herbs, detoxification and major diet changes that many cancer patients have had success using.
“The doctors don’t mention these things. They tell you to just go home and take your normal vitamin,” Tara said.
The young family had insurance when Tara’s care began, but it had a $25,000 lifetime limit, which was quickly surpassed by their medical bills after surgery to remove the tumor.
To ease the burden of the piling medical bills, Jed’s uncle and aunt, Larry and Diana Gallegos, with the help of Steve Otero, have organized a benefit matanza.
The Alderetes said they aren’t worried about the money; they believe God will provide what they need.
Jedediah and Tara are amazed at the outpouring of support from people all over the country, and especially in this community. The couple wants everyone to know they appreciate the prayers even more than the money.
“The money is going to be a huge blessing, but doesn’t mean much unless I have my wife and Ethan’s mom around,” said Jedediah, the son of Martin Alderete and Theresa and Rick Cole and grandson of Micky and Colfita Sanchez, Ed and Fidelina Cooper and Jerry and Janie Cole.