When beginning a life collectively, Zak and Cori Salazar by no means imagined they’d even be sharing a most cancers journey.
The California-based dad and mom have been recognized simply months aside this 12 months — they’re caring for his or her three kids as they encourage others with their braveness, perseverance and love.
Cori, 38, acquired the unhealthy information first, discovering out she has “an aggressive” sort of thyroid most cancers after she and her husband observed “a reasonably large” neck development in March.
She underwent two surgical procedures to take away the mass and a few of her lymph nodes.
Disaster struck the Mission Viejo couple once more when Zak went to the ophthalmologist in June for a brand new prescription, solely to be requested a seemingly innocuous query that might ceaselessly change his life.
“[The ophthalmologist asked] do you expertise complications?” Zak, 38, recalled to People, admitting that he does endure from “horrible” complications.
The ophthalmologist reportedly instructed him that his optic nerves have been swollen in each eyes, recommending he see a retina specialist instantly.
Zak stated the retina specialist confirmed what the ophthalmologist stated.
“I didn’t actually know what that meant, however he assured me that it wasn’t excellent news,” he stated, including he was directed to get an emergency MRI.
After the process, Zak discovered he had “a big mass” in the correct frontal lobe of his mind.
He underwent surgical procedure to take away the 8-centimeter tumor days later, on July 3.
The dad of three was recognized with glioblastoma multiforme, a “fast-growing sort” of tumor generally known as a grade 4 astrocytoma, per the National Cancer Institute.
Zak was in a position to go away the hospital briefly earlier than his surgical procedure to spend time together with his daughters — Juniper, 4, Delaney, 3, and Luna, 18 months — and different relations and shut mates.
This sort of tumor is treatable, however not curable, with medical doctors predicting a life expectancy of 12 to 18 months.
Zak, who helms “The Ranger Zak Show” on YouTube, is dedicated to “beating and surviving” the tumor.
His household prefers to not talk about statistics surrounding his most cancers.
Cori, in the meantime, remains to be enduring blood testing “each three to 6 weeks” to verify her most cancers doesn’t return.
If it does, she must endure radioactive iodine remedy, which might take her away from her kids for at the very least three days.
“It’s actually exhausting as a result of I can’t be at residence,” she defined to People. “There’s no approach that I could be away from the ladies.”
The couple stated they’re grateful to their group, with over $236,000 raised by way of GoFundMe for the household as of Tuesday.
Though the prognosis is devastating, it’s helped them recognize the love and help they’ve acquired.
“Honestly, I’ve a completely new outlook on life,” Zak gushed. “It is a blessing, in a approach. I really feel like my eyes are open for the very first time, and I’m totally awake and conscious of what life is all about.”
Zak is about to start a six-week chemotherapy routine in early August — within the meantime, he’s decided to spend as a lot time together with his family members as doable.
“From right here on out, each extra second that I get to spend with my household — with my spouse, my women, and the individuals I really like — is a complete and absolute present,” Zak stated. “I don’t intend on losing a single second.”
