Texas Tech Health El Paso Raises $255,000 to Provide 1,350 Life-Saving Cancer Screenings

EL PASO, Texas, December 11, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Texas Tech Health El Paso's second annual Lighting Campus for Hope transformed the campus into a colorful winter wonderland on Friday, Dec. 6. Attendees of the holiday celebration were enchanted with festive cheer, heartfelt stories of resilience, and surprise "snow" that added to the night's magic. Families, friends, and cancer warriors from across our Borderplex united in a celebration of hope and community.

Beyond the festivities, the evening marked the culmination of a year-long campaign that raised $255,000 to provide 1,350 life-saving cancer screenings for the community. Lighting Campus for Hope included photos with Santa, fireworks, and a lively mascot dance-off.

The event honored cancer warriors, who shared personal stories of perseverance. Among them, Crystal Lerma recounted her and her son Stevie's healing journey. Diagnosed with thyroid cancer five years ago, Lerma learned shortly thereafter her 10-year-old son had a brain tumor.

"I was at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso planning my last radiation session when I had to walk Stevie across the street to El Paso Children's Hospital," Lerma said. They coordinated treatment with local physicians. "Here we are, five years later, still fighting and making the most of life," she shared.

Attendees contributed to the fight against cancer by scanning a QR code with their phones to support cancer prevention programs at Texas Tech Health El Paso.

Cancer screenings, which cost about $185 each, help detect the disease in earlier stages and help cancer warriors win the fight. Funds raised will also support life-saving treatments, ensuring access to cancer care for the underserved in our region.

The event also built anticipation for the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center, set to break ground on our campus in 2025. This facility will offer world-class care, sparing families the burden of traveling for treatment.

In 2023, the Texas Legislature allocated $65 million for the center's planning and construction. The Fox family pledged $25 million, and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation granted $5 million to support the recruitment of top-tier specialists. These investments will ensure a brighter future for cancer care in our region.

For more information on supporting Texas Tech Health El Paso's cancer initiatives, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.

About Texas Tech Health El Paso

Texas Tech Health El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border, serving 108 historically underserved counties. A Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, it prepares future health care leaders, with 48% identifying as Hispanic and many as first-generation students.

Since becoming an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025.

Source: Texas Tech Health El Paso