Yvan the warrior

Yvan Garcia is an amazing teenager who lights up any room he is in. His energy, sense of humour and tenacity bring joy to any and all that surround him.

On 13 July 2024, Yvan went to the A&E with back pain - he was quickly referred to Middlemore hospital when they found a lump on his stomach. On the 14th July; Yvan was transferred to Starship hospital for further tests where they found that he had a mass pushing on his kidney which was causing the pain. On the 17th July; Yvan had his first surgery where during 10hours they meticulously removed his kidney, part of his colon and a 1.5kg tumour.

On the 24th July, Yvan received a diagnosis of Ewing's Sarcoma - a rare cancer that affects the kidneys and bones. He was advised that he would need to have another surgery to install a portacath and take a sample of his bone marrow to test if the cancer had spread to his bones. He would also need to start Chemo treatment.

On Wednesday 31 July, Yvan was advised that the cancer has spread to his spine and bones. He also started his first round of Chemotherapy.

The Garcia's are a beautiful, strong, loving family - and all of our thoughts and prayers are with them while they fight this battle. Their world has been turned upside down in the past 2.5weeks and we want to do anything we can do to help, support and assist them while they fight this.