When doctors diagnosed Richard Sanchez with Stage 2 colorectal cancer, he knew he needed an angel on his side. Luckily, he had a very industrious one already.
Richard’s 9-year-old grandson, Angel Sanchez, didn’t wait for an adult to tell him what to do; he simply got to work. He and his uncle made a hand-painted sign, and he started selling lemonade and popsicles to help pay for his grandfather’s expensive cancer treatment.
Richard’s medical situation is difficult but not dire. Doctors removed a nine-inch tumor from his colon and have started chemotherapy treatments. They plan to attack the cancer aggressively to stop its spread.
Chasity Sanchez, who is Richard’s daughter and Angel’s mother, has been updating a GoFundMe page with recent news of Richard’s fight. She said, ” I wanted to let everyone know how my daddy’s been doing. He just finished his 2nd round of Chemo on Wednesday and says he’s feeling a little better. There are those days when it feels rougher than the day before but says he’s doing pretty good. We want to thank you all again for all your support, prayers, comments and for sharing with someone.”
Richard’s medical treatment is progressing nicely, but because he’s a self-employed construction workers, bills have been a large worry. Thanks to Angel, there’s a little less stress in that department now.
You may wonder how selling lemonade for 50 cents a cup could pay for cancer treatment. As it happened, when people saw the young man trying to help his grandfather survive, they responded with their checkbooks. People whose friends or relatives have had cancer would give an extra $5 or $10 to Angel, and the total kept mounting.
The community saw the sincere and hard-working young man and and were inspired to give generous tips to bulk up the medical fund. As word of the stand spread, flocks of people went to donate money.
Angel’s earnest efforts resonated with many people in the community. One satisfied customer told Fox San Antonio, “It really touched my heart and I decided to come out here and support him and what he’s doing for his grandfather. It really touched my heart.”
The crowd grew so big throughout the day that eventually police had to come to issue a special permit to the Sanchezes. Between the lemonade stand and a GoFundMe page, the Sanchezes raised over $7,700.
Another 9-year-old, Zane Vila, gave Angel a check from $1,000 that Cancer Aid Resource & Education had raised. The feeling of community was overwhelming as people did their best to give Richard a fighting chance.
According to Chasity, Richard became very emotional when he saw a photo of the lemonade stand. She told the Las Cruces Sun , “He is a very macho guy, but he’s scared. The scary part for him is that he lost his sister 11 years ago to the same cancer.” He must be comforted to know how many people are pulling for him.
Angel is a polite young man, who always addresses people with sir or ma’am. He was characteristically humble about his contribution to his grandfather’s medical care. He gives most of the credit to the generosity of people who have donated.
Angel told the Las Cruces Sun, “I care a lot about my grandpa. I want to do anything I can to help him. People have been really nice about wanting to help, too. I’ll keep doing this as long as I can, if it will help him.”
This sweet story shows just how much people will help you if you’re willing to pitch in yourself. Angel’s hard work selling lemonade and popsicles may have only netted hundreds of dollars, but his dedication led to many more donating to the cause.
The family still has a ways to go to reach their $10,000 goal on GoFundMe , but they’ve got a great start. With Angel, Chasity, and the rest of his family in his corner, Richard has a great chance to beat this awful disease. We wish this family the very best in these difficult times.
