Dear Friends,
In June 2007 Quetzal visited the emergency room in NYC with severe abdominal pain and ten days later she was diagnosed with Stage 1C Ovarian & Stage 1A Uterine cancers. She had a complete hysterectomy to have the cancer removed and is in the process of going through a course of six months of Chemotherapy. Afterward she will need to have intense tests for 3 months to evaluate the treatment and doctors appointments every 3 months over the next 5 years to monitor the cancer. Her struggle right now is to control her pre-existing diabetes and weather the Chemo like a champ.
In a day and age when science is being eroded in society, a health team (along with Quetzal) has come together, diligently applied Marxist-Leninist-Maoist (MLM) theory and relied on Bob Avakian's method of being steadfastly scientific in understanding the world to help her fight this cancer. We would like you to join us. This is not just one person's fight, it is a collective battle to learn more about a deadly disease and to keep a determined revolutionary in our lives. We want what Quetzal wants: for her to continue contributing all she can to transforming society from one that exploits to one that liberates.
During the months she must undergo treatment (and the recovering months) she is not be able to work as much as she did when she was well. We are raising the money necessary for cost of living expenses and the medical bills she will be accumulating. The pills she must take before chemo alone are $100 *each* and her insurance will only cover about half of that. There is chemo to pay for, and medical expenses will total over $100,000, with insurance covering only about one third. Then there are doctor's visits, prescriptions outside of the chemo and testing (a complete budget is available upon request). There are also some of us who are helping with a new diet and developing new eating habits because of the way diabetes and cancer/chemo interact. In short, there's a lot that we're doing and a lot that needs to be paid for. She has no trust fund to rely upon, no family coffers, and HIP, commonly regarded by medical professionals as one of the worst insurance plans available. But she has us and maybe she'll have you too! You can make a one time donation, or pledge $50 dollars (or more) a month. You can make a donation to a specific need (i.e. chemo, organic vegetables, emergency doctor visits, etc). Your pledge will be recognized by a regular email update on how she's doing. If you cannot make a financial contribution but you want to help, we have lots of ideas… just ask us!
Quetzal came to political life in the spring of 1992 after the masses of Los Angeles stood up. When reading a statement from Bob Avakian (upholding the LA rebellion) she decided to dedicate her life to serving the people and changing the world. by becoming a revolutionary communist. Since then she has been out in the world promoting the works of Bob Avakian and applying them to change the world. She has taken part in various struggles to help the people resist the attacks that come down on them, while discussing, struggling and promoting Avakian's vision of a new society (communism). She is determined to fight the cancer not only for herself but to contribute all that she can to change the world.
Throughout life there are people who are good at theorizing around justice for humanity, and then there are caring people who practice it without really having an ideology around it. Quetzal embodies BOTH a terrific outlook on the world and a caring heart. For us she has been the kind of mentor who has always pushed us to be better people and understand humanity. There is a fine balancing act when trying to envision beyond what we know is humanly possible and working towards that, while at the same time understanding that we are not actually superhuman. Being her friend through this has reminded us of the uncertainty of our own lives and taught us tons about the resilience of the human spirit.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for your continued support. A team effort has allowed us to learn more than we ever imagined about combating cancer. Collectively we will fight and succeed against the obstacles ahead of us!
Sincerely,
Friends of Martha Quetzal Ceja
conqueringcancer@gmail.com
Sunday, November 11, 2007
About Martha Quetzal Ceja
A Revolutionary Communist
Quetzal is a proud follower of Bob Avakian and is a revolutionary communist with innovative thinking and an energetic sense of humor. She grew up in South Los Angeles in the 1970's at a time when many Mexicano families were making the long journey from small towns in Mexico across the 2,000-mile border. Like many immigrants her young dreams of America as a land of opportunity lost their gleaming facade and began to look more like an American nightmare.
A Fighter Against National Oppression and Police Brutality
Quetzal, a former MEChA Chair, spent years studying and struggling against national oppression She co-authored a position paper for broad discussion: The Chicano Struggle and Proletarian Revolution in the U.S.
Quetzal has facilitated workshops at numerous MEChA conferences across the country on topics such as the Chicano struggle and proletarian revolution, police brutality, September 11th and the Juggernaut of War and Repression, and the DVD of a talk given by Bob Avakian Revolution: Why It's Necessary, Why It's Possible, and What It's All About.
Quetzal founded the National Youth/Student Movement for the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, and the Criminalization of a Generation. She has made television and radio appearances, spoken at dozens of conferences and countless high schools and colleges throughout the Southwest and West Coast.
Envisioning a New Future
After moving in 2005 Quetzal has brightened New York City with her activism. She has organized and taken part in many of The World Can’t Wait – Drive Out the Bush Regime’s activities. She led a Jazz Funeral procession in protest against the abandonment of New Orleans poorest residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Battling cancer has barely slowed her stride. This past September Quetzal coordinated one of the only buses to take activists from Harlem into the Deep South to defend the Jena 6.
Today in all aspects of work she does, Quetzal puts forward the interests and aspirations of the world’s oppressed people. She is continually fueled by Bob Avakian's vision of a new society that will unleash people to know and change the world.
Quetzal is a proud follower of Bob Avakian and is a revolutionary communist with innovative thinking and an energetic sense of humor. She grew up in South Los Angeles in the 1970's at a time when many Mexicano families were making the long journey from small towns in Mexico across the 2,000-mile border. Like many immigrants her young dreams of America as a land of opportunity lost their gleaming facade and began to look more like an American nightmare.
A Fighter Against National Oppression and Police Brutality
Quetzal, a former MEChA Chair, spent years studying and struggling against national oppression She co-authored a position paper for broad discussion: The Chicano Struggle and Proletarian Revolution in the U.S.
Quetzal has facilitated workshops at numerous MEChA conferences across the country on topics such as the Chicano struggle and proletarian revolution, police brutality, September 11th and the Juggernaut of War and Repression, and the DVD of a talk given by Bob Avakian Revolution: Why It's Necessary, Why It's Possible, and What It's All About.
Quetzal founded the National Youth/Student Movement for the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, and the Criminalization of a Generation. She has made television and radio appearances, spoken at dozens of conferences and countless high schools and colleges throughout the Southwest and West Coast.
Envisioning a New Future
After moving in 2005 Quetzal has brightened New York City with her activism. She has organized and taken part in many of The World Can’t Wait – Drive Out the Bush Regime’s activities. She led a Jazz Funeral procession in protest against the abandonment of New Orleans poorest residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Battling cancer has barely slowed her stride. This past September Quetzal coordinated one of the only buses to take activists from Harlem into the Deep South to defend the Jena 6.
Today in all aspects of work she does, Quetzal puts forward the interests and aspirations of the world’s oppressed people. She is continually fueled by Bob Avakian's vision of a new society that will unleash people to know and change the world.
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