Halo House resident, native Colombian and father of three, Carlos Llano, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a cancer that begins in the bone marrow and develops into the bloodstream.
When Carlos was first diagnosed with AML, he began his treatment in Colombia, but ongoing riots in his city caused shortages of food, blood and medical equipment. In search of better treatment options, his family learned about the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and its remarkable reputation. Catalina explained that they informed her father that MDA is the number one cancer hospital in the world and immediately applied for treatment. In June 2021, Carlos began his new treatment plan. While Carlos’ wife, son and other daughter are working to provide an income for the family by managing the family’s livestock and agriculture business, Catalina is by her father’s side taking him to medical appointments and acting as his primary caregiver. In her free time, Catalina volunteers at Halo House as a Resident Manager, helping answer phone calls, accepting deliveries, cleaning, restocking resident supplies and more. Halo House has given the Llano family hope and support through this difficult time.
“Halo House not only makes our financial situation less burdensome, but feels incredibly welcoming and safe,” Catalina shared. “It has been comforting to be around other patients and caregivers who are going through similar circumstances.”
The Llanos will know soon if Carlos requires a bone marrow transplant procedure, requiring him to stay in Houston within 20 minutes of the hospital for another 100 days. The Llano family has been in Houston for three months and plans to stay until Carlos is stable enough to go back to Colombia.
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