Two years later, Roberto struggled to breathe. He tired easily. His left lung collapsed under the pressure of fluid caused by a metastatic recurrence of clear cell renal carcinoma. Treatment options in Honduras were limited to a single medication path, no alternative therapies, and little opportunity for what might come next if the disease progressed. As they searched for options for treatment all over the world, a cousin living in Memphis recognized the journey quickly. Her own young daughter had been treated for leukemia at St. Jude, and during that time, they had been an Open Arms family. She knew what Open Arms meant because she had lived it. And so she made the calls. Meanwhile, Roberto and his family continued searching for options at home. They were incredibly stressed, but held together by hope, faith, and as Roberto tells it, his wife’s strength and positive outlook. That attitude was rewarded by news of Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis approving him for treatment, and shortly after, by approval to stay with Open Arms. Roberto and Teresa began the urgent work of gathering passports, emergency visa approvals, medical documentation, and every prayer they had. Against every logistical obstacle including timing, travel, and finances, things opened up, one door at a time.
“It felt,” Teresa said, “like going through a road full of traffic lights, and all of a sudden they all turned green.” They arrived in Memphis, and two days later, Roberto began treatment at the hospital. After a short stay with family, they made their home at Open Arms at MAA Dexter Lake.
The goslings in the spring. The walking paths at sunset. Their daughter waking them up at dawn with her fishing pole in hand, bundled in a coat, urging, “Vamos, papi!” while Roberto and Teresa tried to stay warm in the early morning cold. This scene would become a life memory, not just a photograph in their minds. This memory in particular made them both laugh: a soft, steady, shared chuckle, the kind that comes from having survived something together and experiencing a treasured moment even in the midst of a storm. Their children, 13 and 9, learned to fish, ride bikes, play baseball at the community, and they also got to watch snow fall for the first time in their lives. Roberto’s mother-in-law, who depends on them as she lost her speech and right-side mobility after a stroke decades ago, found calm sitting by the water daily, listening to the geese. “It was peace,” Teresa said. “A blessing. A miracle that holds you with love.” And they were not alone. “Mr. Robert, the property manager, was incredibly attentive and special to us. Mr. Larry, at the gym and pool, was always checking on us. The entire staff made us feel special and truly helped us keep sane and centered,” they recalled. “We didn’t just feel welcomed,” Teresa said. “We felt spoiled. Like family was taking care of us.”
Arriving at their New Home
“When we walked in,” Roberto said, “everything was beautiful. Clean. Furnished. Ready for us.” It wasn’t just a place to sleep. It felt intentional, prepared, loving. “The phrase home away from home,” he said, “falls short. It doesn’t capture it. We truly felt… at home.” The community mattered. The lake. The trees. The quiet. The geese in the mornings.
10
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator