POTH, Texas – Cancer has become the leading cause of death for Latinos, with stomach cancer disproportionately affecting the community.
According to SaludAmerica.com, Latinos suffer two times higher rates of liver and stomach cancers -- infection-related, but preventable cancers --than their white peers.
One family in Wilson County is feeling the devastating impact after losing their patriarch to stomach cancer this summer.
Ray Molina Jr. recently sat down to share his father’s story in hopes of encouraging others to prioritize their health and seek regular checkups.
“He was a great family man to everybody,” Molina said. “Even if you didn’t know him, he still treated you like family.”
Earlier this year, Ray Molina Sr., a father and grandfather, began complaining of stomach pain after an initial diagnosis of gallbladder issues and surgery to remove the organ.
“As time went by, he kept saying, ‘Oh, my stomach, my stomach,’” Molina Jr. explained. “So we took him to the hospital, and they said it was his gallbladder.”
Despite the surgery, the pain persisted and the elder Molina’s stomach began to swell. A follow-up visit led to a Stage 4 stomach cancer diagnosis.
The Molina family then faced another hurdle -- insurance complications that left them struggling to cover the cost of chemotherapy.
“We had to figure out how to come up with $300. It doesn’t seem like much, but for some people, it is,” Molina Jr. said.
With the support of their community, the family organized a benefit to help with medical costs, but their love one’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Ray Molina Sr. passed away just four weeks after his diagnosis.
“We just had to sit back and watch our father die,” Molina Jr. said.
Now, Molina Jr. hopes his father’s story will inspire others to prioritize their health while also calling for better access to medical care for the Latino community.
“I think we need more resources, more availability to actually see a doctor,” he said. “A lot of us are struggling these days. We can’t even afford to put gas in our car, let alone think about how we’ll pay for medical care.”
The Molina family continues to grieve but holds onto memories of the man they call the backbone of their family.
“We are taking it day by day,” Molina Jr. said. “It’s just really weird to see that the backbone of our family is gone. All we can do is take it day by day and hopefully, maybe one day, see him again.”
KSAT 12 on Tuesday will host a town hall with UT Health San Antonio to talk about the rising concerns of cancer in Latinos.
The livestream will begin at 2 p.m.
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