Malina Pereza was shocked when she was told by the doctors at Wilcox Memorial Hospital she needed to be medivaced to Straub Hospital in Honolulu because she had acute myeloid leukemia type M4. She didn’t believe them. “I told them
Malina Pereza was shocked when she was told by the doctors at Wilcox Memorial Hospital she needed to be medivaced to Straub Hospital in Honolulu because she had acute myeloid leukemia type M4.
She didn’t believe them.
“I told them they must have somebody else’s blood,” the 26-year-old said. “I am the healthiest person I know. I don’t drink soda, I don’t eat mayo, and I go to the gym five times a week.”
That was on Jan. 4 after she’d been experiencing a month of feeling like she had a cold followed by a bout of excruciating pain in her bones, so excruciating it caused her to pass out while showering. Three days later and after she had been airlifted to Straub Hospital, the leukemia diagnosis was confirmed.
“I don’t remember much for the first couple of weeks at Straub,” said Pereza. “I was wearing this big ‘Darth Vadar’-like respiratory thing and was told I was bleeding to death on the inside.”
Family members and friends stayed with her around the clock. Word spread fast about Pereza’s tragic turn of events. Since she was working two part-time jobs for less than 20 hours each per week, she didn’t qualify for insurance. The community stepped up when they heard about her predicament.
Pereza recently emailed The Garden Island, wanting to express to the people of Kauai her gratitude for their love, kindness and support.
It seemed her angels came from all walks of life, including a 6-year-old Mahuka had never met Pereza, but baked and sold cinnamon rolls and raised $700.
A second bake sale coordinated by Costco employees who worked with Pereza’s husband, raised over $2,000.
The list continues with the Kauai High School alumni football team donating over $1,000, Smileys in Lihue in cooperation with Transportation Security Administration employees raising over $3,000 and the 2005 Kauai High School graduating class pitching in $5,000 after they held a two-day car wash. Kauai Athletic Club locations are selling hats made by Pereza’s cousin with proceeds earmarked for her.
“After this experience, I know the true aloha that Kauai has to offer,” she wrote.
Chad Layosa, owner of Smileys, didn’t know who Pereza was but still wanted to help.
“It is so devastating when you see something like that happen and of course you want to help out, especially when times are really tough,” she said. “You just want to give back. We’re lucky. We’ve never had anything bad like that happen in our family.”
Pereza also realizes how much her brother Alika cares about her.
On March 27, he will donate stem cells to Pereza at Stanford Hospital in California in an effort to turn around her struggle to live, not only for herself, but for her husband Kimo and her 3-year-old daughter Mahiehie, too. Without the transplant procedure, Pereza’s chances for survival drop to less than 35 percent.
“The joke in my family is that I’ve spent my whole life trying to look out for my younger brother. I was always trying to get him to do his homework, and checking up on him, trying to get him to drink less, not knowing eventually he would be the one to save my life,” said Pereza, laughing.
Pereza, who grew up in Puhi, will remain in confinement near Stanford Hospital, for 100 days after the transplant procedure, in order to avoid infection.
Doctors are giving her 65 percent chance of survival. She looks forward to Skyping with her daughter on Kauai every day.
She hopes to return to work a year from now with a new appreciation for life.
“When you get sick, you realize people and relationships are what matter most,” she said. “Live simple.”
To add to fundraising efforts on behalf of Pereza, visit www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/friends-of-malina-pereza/124644.
• Lisa Ann Capozzi is a features/education reporter and can be reached at lcapozzi@thegardenisland.com.
