In January 2024, Hector received a phone call that changed everything. The diagnosis: a rare, aggressive stage IV cancer in his neck, bordering the base of his skull. The prognosis was serious, the risks were severe, and the road ahead was uncertain. What carried him forward was faith.

His surgery lasted thirteen hours. The tumor sat over his facial nerve, and surgeons warned him of a strong likelihood of permanent facial palsy or worse. He walked into the operating room not with fear, but with what he describes as a peace he couldn't explain. On the third day after surgery, when doctors expected weeks of immobility, he stood up.

But the hardest part was still ahead. Radiation, chemotherapy, and news of metastasis followed. Today, traces of cancer remain, though inactive, and Hector continues treatment. He also continues to share his story, and his account of what faith, medicine, and an unexpected move across the country all had to do with his survival is one worth reading in full.