Dear Family and Friends, Thank you so much for your emails, cards, flowers and hugs. We are truly a blessed family to have all of you here for us. Our journey together has been long and Hank fought hard to stay as long as he could with us all. I truly miss him so very much. The girls and I are doing OK. We are keeping busy with all the fundraiser stuff.
I hope that you can all come and support this great cause of Brain Cancer Research just like you always have. Legends night is Thursday the 28th 5-9pm, the 5K is May 7th at 9am. Hope to see you all there. Check our web site for info: www.craniumcrusaders.org Also, Hank's memorial service is scheduled for May 14th at 11am at Seacoast Grace Church - 5100 Cerritos Ave - Cypress, Ca. There will be a reception following the service at the church.
Again, Thanks for all your love,
Cris, Noelle and Jessica
We learned with great sadness that Hank passed away this afternoon. We thank God for the special man he was and how he made a difference in this life as a follower of Christ, a family man, a firefighter, and a courageous brain cancer survivor for eight years. As we celebrate that he’s at home with the Lord now, we offer our sympathy and prayers for Cris and their daughters Noelle and Jessica.
Here's an update from Hank's wife, Cris. Thanks for continuing to keep them in prayer.
Hi, So sorry I haven't written sooner, the days just seem to go by and then its a new day. Hank is doing OK, he is mostly sleeping but he can hear you and sometimes he opens his eyes. He seems to remember people and sometimes you'll get a little crooked smile out of him. He's not eating much any more and we try to keep him comfortable with medication. Visiting is still OK between the hours of 11am-6pm, no need to call. Thanks again for all your continued support, Love Team Zavaleta
Thanks for continuing to pray for Hank Zavaleta and family as he’s on hospice care. Cris posted on CarePages recently to say thanks “for all the kind emails, cards, flowers and food. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.” She suggests friends who want to see Hank should do so at this time, and said he’s doing okay and sleeps a lot.
I visited the Zavaletas on Tuesday. It was good to see Hank as he slept quietly, good to visit with Cris, and good to sense the peace in their home. We still have so much in common on our respective brain tumor journeys, best of all our faith in the Lord Jesus – yet they’ve moved to a place we haven’t had to. I’m accepting that there’s a time when the fight is done, this earthly life is over, and it’s just the end. I'm accepting that there's a point when our prayers turn from pleading with God for healing to lifting up blessings of peace and mercy. I thank God for Hank, pray for a peaceful transition, and ask for God’s mercy in all of it, especially for Cris and the girls. It’s just a hard time.
I'm also accepting that just as being born is a process, so is dying. Before our kids were born, I thought a mother going into labor was like turning on a light switch. I thought one moment she was normal and the next she was racing to the maternity ward. But I observed with each of our children that labor started slowly, progressed gradually in small ways, and took weeks to build until baby day. That last part did move pretty fast each time, but it was just mother and child’s final effort before making an introduction.
Sometimes dying happens suddenly, but many times it progresses over days or weeks as one physically and spiritually begins to separate from life on earth. The act of dying is the final leg of the greatest journey a person has ever known, and while it has recognizable stages hospice workers can identify, it is necessarily a singular act made by the one passing away. It’s theirs alone. In this way, I've accepted that dying is as natural as being born. Psalm 116:15 takes it to another level, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." We are eternal beings made by a loving Creator for a temporary span on the earth, made from its own dust. I've said before that death is not a problem for God. It sure is hard on us though.
There’s a link below to a video interview Hank’s friend did with him last June. If you watch it, you’ll gain some appreciation of who Hank is and catch a glimpse of his faith and courage. It’s beautiful. He talks about the choice to get busy living or get busy dying. Hank chose to live, and has lived with purpose in life. Remarkably, he also found purpose in brain cancer – to help others, to share his story, and to offer hope.
As I prayed with Cris and her friend this week, I remembered from Psalm 23 that in the valley of the shadow of death, the shadow is created by the greater light of God shining behind it. This valley may be an unpleasant place; but we don't stay there – we walk through it. And the reason we do not fear is we’re not alone. God is with us. He offers comfort and strength. In fact, Jesus defeated death and broke its hold on us. Death, our ultimate foe, truly is just a shadow. Hank and Cris have approached this time with the faith, trust, and lack of fear that comes from God. As in Psalm 23, their display of it honors him.
The fact we’re eternal beings is wired in us at the deepest level, though not everyone admits it. Fearing death is natural if you’re not sure whether you’ll spend eternity with God or apart from him. But confidence comes when you’ve placed your hope in the One you know has reserved a home for you in heaven and has the power to put you there. To the redeemed, death and dying become smaller things. It’s important to praise him who’s paid so dearly to secure our lives:
“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.” Psalm 13:5-6
This is hard news to hear and share. Please pray for Hank, Cris, and family.
Hi everyone,
A few days ago hank starting getting worse, so yesterday we took him to LB Memorial ER and they found a large bleed in the brain. He is not in pain, but he cannot walk and he cannot speak well. He had a stroke and the bleed is so big that it has pushed his brain to one side. With all that said, the dr's and I have decided that he will go home tomorrow and will be put on hospice. No more treatment, he will just be made comfortable. He is alert, and understands most things. He actually looks better than I make it sound. Thanks again for all your love and support
Love to all, Cris
Here's an update on our friend and fellow brain tumor patient Hank Zavaleta from his wife Cris. Thank you for continuing to pray for him.
Hi everyone, Today Hank had his 4 week MRI and it showed that the tumors were still growing. They didn't grow a lot, but they did grow. So, Dr. is keeping him on the same chemo and infusion of Avastin for another 4 weeks. Then we will see what that MRI shows and we go from there. So, I think that the news was OK, it could have been much worse. Always a little hope. Thanks for all your well wishes, prayers, cards and your generosity with everything. We love you.
Our dear friend Hank had tough news this week as he continues his fight with GBM as you’ll read in this update from his wife Cris. Please join us in praying for Hank:
Well, honestly, I don't know where to begin.
Thanks to everyone for your continued love, support and prayers as you are traveling this journey with us. We are so Blessed to have the family and friends that we do.
With that said....Today’s MRI was not good...actually, it was real bad. In the past 6 weeks since the last MRI there are 3 areas of concern... The left temporal lobe, the left basal ganglia and the Left parietal lobe..All have regrowth. The left temporal lobe growth is pushing on the motor skills area, which will take away the ability for Hank to walk.
So, we, with Dr. Cloughesy decided to start a new chemotherapy tonight. This MAY slow the process down and has a 15% cure rate. Yes, 15%! :( It was that or do nothing. We chose to try one more time. This chemo is taken orally for 28 days, then 7 days off. His labs will be checked weekly for low blood counts. If they fall too low, he will be taken off. These tumors seem to be very aggressive, since 6 weeks ago they were not there and have grown substantially.
As you all know, Hanks prognosis has never been good, but he has always fought hard and today’s news was just hard to take. He isn't giving up and will continue to fight as long as he can. I don't want to sound negative because that is just not me, but the new prognosis is hard to handle right now and I know you want and should know what we were told......Dr. Cloughesy with tears in his eyes told us that Hank possibly has another 6 months ... with or without chemo. I am sorry to have to tell you this news. With much love, Cris
Hi everyone, Sorry for not writing sooner, just got caught up in the good news and decided to get in the holiday spirit. With the help of a good friend, I got the Christmas lights up while Hank had his vaccine up at UCLA today. So excited my house sparkles!! Anyways, Hank’s MRI was stable - Yay!! So, he will start his infusion of Avastin next week and he will be getting it every other week for as long as it keeps working. He is also getting the vaccine, so with both treatments we just pray that he will continue to do well. Again, I want to thank everyone for you prayers, love, kindness and your unconditional support. Oh yeah, and all that great food from LBFD, you're AMAZING. We love you all soooo much. Take care and enjoy the simple things of the holiday.....each other. Remember...Jesus is the reason for the season. Love to all, Team Z
We thank God for Hank’s progress. We’re also thankful Susan continues to do well. November was blessedly quiet for us medically. She has regular periods of headache and tiredness, but gets relief from rest or meds. We’re progressing on her steroid taper and will have her Decadron dose down to 0.5mg daily this week. Past efforts to get free of the steroid have been interrupted by other medical events that required higher doses again, so we’re hoping this one goes well.
Thanksgiving brought us to relaxing hours with family in Lakewood and Angelus Oaks following best-ever Thanksgiving worship at Emmanuel. Every year is the best ever because we see all the new ways God has been faithful. Like Psalm 92 says, “It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” It IS good to give thanks to the Lord. Observing that his mercies truly are new every morning – that situation I feared actually turned out okay, or that hard time came attached with unexpected blessings – reminds us who is in control, that he is good, and his goodness is for us.
Most days may be ordinary and forgettable, but Thanksgiving Day allows us to take stock and sum them up. Thanksgiving brings perspective. We realize strands of time may flow by unnoticed, but seeing them strung together year by year, colored with reminders of God’s loving presence and faithful acts, a pattern emerges that encourages our faith. We see God weaving our lives into a tapestry of his careful, creative design – always unfinished, but always more beautiful. We’re thankful.
Yes, we are home. AGAIN. and I plan on keeping it that way! Hank is doing well and is continuing to rest. He is having a little trouble with his right leg/foot and walking isn't easy, we have no idea what that is about, but we will figure it out and get him moving again. I know I've said this a million times, but I just want to THANK everyone for your continued support, love, prayers, visits and yummy food. We feel so Blessed. Hank will start the dendretic cell vaccine (clinical trial) in two weeks, he will get an injection every other week for a total of 3 injections. He will also start an I.V. medication-Avastin, in 4 weeks. I’m not sure how long they will give that one. He will continue to get MRI's every 6 weeks to keep an eye on things. That's the plan for now. I will keep you posted.XOXO - Cris
Susan and I were able to visit and pray with Hank and Cris last week after Susan’s oncology visit, and were greatly encouraged to see how well he’s doing and how beautifully they trust God and reflect his peace. Strangely, it’s almost easier to go through an ordeal like GBM yourself than see others suffer with it. That was true for me concerning Hank and Cris until I realized we share the same confidence and hope in God. Ultimately, I know Susan and I are okay, that’s why we have peace – now I know Hank and Cris are okay, too. I love Hank’s heart for the Lord and how he so freely voices his desire that people know Jesus. He shows neither pretense nor embarrassment in sharing his faith. He’s just a guy for whom the important things in life have been brought into focus while other things have been stripped away. He knows whose he is and where he’s going. As I pray for his healing, I’m also praying for the desires of his heart and thank you for doing the same.
Meanwhile, we’re encouraged once again with Susan’s latest MRI that shows her tumor is stable. I’d been concerned that more headaches recently were a sign her tumor was growing, but since she wasn’t worsening in other ways, I was cautiously optimistic. I figured we were dealing with her latest effort to get off steroids. The doctor agreed. But the next day she told me the radiologist who viewed her MRI noticed signs of thickening of the lining outside Susan’s brain (the dura), a condition called intracranial hypotension. It usually occurs if there’s a leakage of fluid from the spinal cord from a spinal tap or an accidental puncture, and could have happened when she recently had some electrodes removed from her lower back. If so, perhaps the leak was a small one since she didn’t have the terrible pain that comes with rising to sit or stand. In any case, the condition usually resolves on its own. Susan has been feeling well lately, so we’re okay with not having a complete understanding of what happened. We’re glad to have Susan well and free from tumor progression so we can concentrate on weaning off steroids again and hopefully her gaining strength and function. Her gains are small and incremental while memory and vision are still difficulties for her. Still, we’re aware that God is keeping us in his care as we seek him for healing, strength, and restoration. I’m reminded of God’s word that says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) We continue to trust him in the mystery.
First, let me say thanks to all of you for your kindness, your generosity and love that you continue to surround us with, we cannot do this without your support. Thank you, Thank you...
OK, as you know Hank had a seizure on Monday the 18th. On the 19th at 11pm he was transfer to UCLA, where his Doctors could monitor, test and try to find out what was going on. He stayed in ICU for a couple days including his birthday.
As the days went on, he continued to get better and today he was discharged. Yes, we are home.
We were told that nothing was going to be done at the moment, they were just going to observe the tumor and bleed for a while. This was the residents telling us this info, Dr. Liau was out of town at a conference.
Well, just as we were about to leave, Dr. Liau showed up, she told us that the tumor is growing fast and that the bleed is under the tumor so she's not sure how much the area is bleeding. Then she told us that she would like to do surgery as fast as possible since the tumor is growing so rapid. The last MRI Hank had was on the 12th, 1 day after surgery. It has grown a lot since and now the bleeding. She first said that she would like to do it on Monday, yes, 3 days from now. As you can imagine, we were surprised. When she went to check her O.R. schedule, it was booked. So for now, Hank will be back in surgery on Monday, November 1st. Yes, it is scary, but what choice do we have. They cannot do anymore chemo or radiation, so for now surgery is the only option. She will plan on giving him the dendritic cell vaccine some time after surgery.
Goodnight, Cris
Thanks for continuing to pray for Hank, Cris, and their family.
Hi everyone,
We're back at UCLA in the ICU. It all started on Monday afternoon, Hank woke up from a nap and had trouble speaking. With the help of friends I took him to LB Memorial, they think he might have had a seizure so they took him to get a CT scan and found a bleed. They kept him in the ICU for observation and decided it was best for him to go back to UCLA, so we are here now waiting for tests and results. He is unable to speak well and is still having problems comprehending. I will keep you posted as we find out anything new. Thanks for your continued love and support.
Cris
Please pray for our friend, Hank Zavaleta. Hank is a brain buddy of ours who was diagnosed with GBM in 2003 and is exceptional not only as a seven-year GBM survivor (off the charts), but also as a champion of faith, courage, and action. He meaningfully inspires the people around him – fellow firefighters, church family, and brain tumor patients and professionals. He and his wife Cris have invested precious time and energy to help Cranium Crusaders raise I think $150,000 to $200,000 for brain cancer research at UCLA. Click here for their website. We’ve also witnessed Hank in action at UCLA’s brain tumor conferences and the upbeat way he brings hope for other brain tumor patients and their families. Hank is just an incredible guy we feel privileged to know.
Hank’s story was featured several years ago on the UCLA Neurosurgery website. Click here.
Sadly, an MRI in September revealed a new area of tumor growth after years of treatment with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, a clinical trial cancer vaccine, and a clean MRI in July. Another brain surgery at UCLA last Monday went well in spite of some visual side effects. Then Hank & Cris learned a post-op MRI shows even more new tumor growth in an area behind his left ear. Dr Liau and UCLA’s brain tumor board will explore options that include more surgery, Avastin, or vaccine, but Hank will need to heal for a few months before having new treatment. This is obviously heavy news for a battle-tested family who’s been thrown into crisis mode again and is trusting God for the days ahead. Please join Susan and me in praying for healing and peace for Hank, Cris and their daughters.
Here’s a CarePages message from Hank on Saturday that includes a powerful word of advice from a brother who’s had his priorities sharply focused:
although i struggle with writing 4 now, please know that i feel all of ur love 4 us. please keep us in prayer.....live....love.....and forgive, hank
