UPDATE 01-06-2015: It breaks my heart to say that Michele was freed from her battle with cancer. She left this world the day before yesterday and I know she is in Heaven now, free of pain and full of all our love. Thank you to all of you for supporting her. Please see below to buy and read her books to keep her spirit alive!
One of my favorite authors and friends is fighting cancer and I want to share the word to help. Prayers, fundraising,whatever it takes to help her. About Michele…
There is something special that happens when you finally get to meet the author of books you love. For me, one of those times was with Michele Serros! I instantly connected with her works, Chicana Falsa and How to Be a Chicana Role Model, because of her point-of-view and writing style. She, a fourth generation girl from in Southern California, and me, third generation, from Phoenix, Arizona, I felt we had a lot in common with growing up assimilated into American pop culture. More Cosby Show than El Norte. We grew up as all-American girls who happened to be Latina. All-American chicas, I should say. Her essays and poems about family life, school, the mall, friends, summer vacations, being Mexican – they made me laugh as much as they made me think. She inspired me to be proud of my culture and let it organically be a part of all I do.
I’m such a stalker, I listened to her on NPR and watched The George Lopez Show faithfully on ABC, because I knew she was a staff writer. Years later, we did finally meet and become friends. I found out that she too is a crafty chica, she even used to work for Michaels building displays and samples! I’m not just talking picking up a glue gun here and there, she full-on shakes the glitter at every opportunity. I’ve always been so proud to say I personally know Michele and can vouch that she is an amazing woman with so many talents!
That’s why my heart was crushed when I found out she is fighting cancer. After being diagnosed 13 months ago, she has kept so positive in handling it and trying everything possible to chase it away. I’m talking hardcore cancer, Stage 4. She wrote about it here for The Huffington Post.
While all this was going on, she was also writing about Chipotle for excluding Latino/a authors in their Cultivating Thought series! Even through her health struggles, she still makes it a point to write and have her voice heard!
The point of this post is to ask each and every one of you reading this to please say a prayer, send good energy, whatever you can to help her fight this battle. I know a lot of you are dealing with family members and friends who could be going through the same thing, and I promise to send love and light to them, of you will do this for Michele. Her friends set up a Dollar Dance fundraising campaign to pay for uncovered costs – from the page:
“Michele’s husband is her primary caregiver and the sole source of income for both of them. Even with a maxed-out savings and high health insurance co-pays, she remains optimistic. We are asking for your generosity as GiveForward donors to assist with costs that are not covered by health insurance: alternative cancer care and medicinal therapies, psychological counseling, transportation (she is currently unable to drive), voice coaching, and medical care outside the United States where facilities and teams are more advanced and familiar with treatment for adenoid cystic carcinoma.”
And here is Michele’s Facebook page!
I have met Michelle at her book Readings once She even sat by me at a premier of the Oxnard movie! I love her writing and was very sad to learn she has Cancer. I was going to go see Marc Anthony in concert for B-Day instead I will make a donation to My Favorite Author Get well Michelle you need to write our stories in that beautiful style and be the first chicana to win the Nobel Prize in Literature! I send you all my cariño, prayers!