An Elsa family with hearing disabilities turned to Action 4 News for help with the medical expenses of their one-year-old daughter who suffers from a brain tumor.
The laugh of one-year-old Miranda Perez fills the living room of her Elsa home.
It is a sound that her mother Miriam will never get the chance to hear, since she is completely deaf.
"We need a lot of help here," her husband Rolando Perez said.
Rolando is hard of hearing and uses sign language to communicate with Miriam.
He works part-time as a substitute teacher with the Edcouch-Elsa School District.
The two of them must provide for three-year-old Kimberly and one-year-old Miranda.
"One day, when I came home her eyes were moving like this,” Rolando said, making circular motions with his hands. “My wife was telling me look at her eyes.”
Rolando said they immediately went to the hospital. “We found out that she was a tumor behind her eyes,” he added. “But it wasn't, it was inside, a brain tumor."
The tumor has more than doubled in size over the past few months.
Miranda is currently undergoing chemotherapy at the Vannie Cook Children's Clinic in McAllen.
"She's gonna go throught the chemo for the next five months,” Rolando said. “We dont know how long this girl will have cancer until, I'm looking for the word miracle."
Until then the Perez family struggles.
Their immediate families help them care for the children, but rising medical costs are taking a toll, and the assistance from Medicaid is limited.
"They billed me one time that says $20,000,” he explained. “And I was, whoa, wait. I can't afford this."
The bills are just one more hurdle for the family.
Often times Miriam will go to doctor’s appointments alone with her daughter because her husband is at work.
But without his help or that of an interpreter, which is not always available, she is unable to communicate.
"She worries a lot because she doesn't know what they're giving her, what they're doing, that's the hardest part for her," Rolando said, interpretating for his wife.
Rolando admitted the hardest part for him is not being able to provide for his family.
"I have a lot of faith in her,” he said talking to his one-year-old daughter. “So just be patient and please help us if you can."
If anyone is willing to help out with donations or interpreting services, call Rolando Perez at (956) 270-9191.
The family has also set up an account at the Lone Star National Bank under Rolando V. Perez.
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