our members

Our Story

Hello,

I am Rosalinda Cedillo. I was a single mother. Being a single parent, I know the struggle. There were many times that we struggled to make ends meet and my declining health at times made it even more challenging. There were times when our utilities were shut off, we needed to go to the local church for food or shelter. Despite the many struggles, our family was always full of love. In 2003 I was Diagnosed with a serious, life-changing condition. I was scared and didn’t know what to do. Some of you may relate.

Before I was admitted, I had no idea what Granuloma Sarcoidosis was. Over time, and many tests later, I learned. Looking back, I knew for a while that something was wrong before, but I told myself if I ignored it, it would go away. Unfortunately, that wasn’t so. I never liked Doctors. I was afraid. Not because they are bad people, but because they deliver bad news. I never liked hospitals either, they’re scary. Being a single mother raising 6 kids made it difficult also. I needed to care for my kids. Afterall, that is what mothers do. We sometimes barely had enough money to make it through the month. Many times, I didn’t have enough time to go to important doctors appointments. Most of the time it was because I had to put my kids first. I was severely ill, and I was terrified. I many times felt alone.

It took two weeks for the medical teams to get me stabilized. Spending all that time in the hospital was so scary. It was cold. My fear overwhelmed me every day. I faced new challenges constantly, and so many times I just wanted to quit. I just wanted to hide and pretend none of it was happening... But it was. All I could think about was how will I be able to feed my family. Will I be able to see my grandchildren? Anxiety set in. Soon after, insomnia set in. I was afraid.

Eventually I was stable enough to go home, and I was so glad. Little did I know, this is when the real challenges began. Due to the severity of my declining health, I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. This changed my life forever. I made a lot of difficult life changes and managed to go eight years before needing to start dialysis. Once I started, it was three days a week for 4 hours a day. That was exhausting. Being a morning shift patient meant I got done early, but boy was I tired. Again, all I could think about at this point was what and how will I be able to provide for my children and grandchildren.

I met so many people through my time on dialysis. Most times, they were just as scared as I was. None of us knew what our futures would hold. We watched our fellow patient friends constantly taken out by ambulances due to complications. Sometimes they never returned. Fear was always present in the air, but at least we had each other. There were support groups there at the dialysis center, but nothing beat the support of my family. My kids gave me the motivation I needed to fight. They are the reason I got up every day and continued treatment, even on the days I wanted to give up. 

I’m sharing my struggles with you so that you know you are not alone. I was scared, tired, and just fed up with not feeling well. But I had the support system I needed to keep going. My hope for Valor is to help people understand the importance of taking care of themselves and getting assistance that you may need. As a single mother who had many obstacles, I want to make sure that you know that being the glue of the family is a title that mothers wear. It’s okay to be scared, but we can help you. You are not alone anymore. 

Late,

Rosalinda Torres

Valor will be there for them always