To Family, Friends and the Community, 

Many of you may not know that our beloved sister Anna Maria has been battling an aggressive cancer that has returned and is now spreading quickly throughout her body. Anna Maria, being the fighter she is, is doing all she can to overcome this, and has been an incredible example of how to deal with such a situation. 

That said, some of her cancer treatments are not covered by insurance and thus has forced us to begin a fundraiser to help her cover the mounting costs. 

We are humbly asking for your prayers and financial support to help our beloved sister overcome this battle.

Due to the urgency of this situation, she is receiving a combination of traditional oncological treatment and integrative treatment which includes holistic elements, some of which are not covered by insurance but are contributing immensely to the relief that she is beginning to experience from the devastating neuropathy threat as well as the nausea and other side effects of the treatment. 

BACKGROUND

Anna Maria is a concert harpist. She started playing the harp as a child, and continues to perform to this day, relying on her skills as a musician as her sole livelihood.

Anna Maria is a devout Catholic and enjoys using her skills to serve those in need, whether it is by performing or teaching harp. She’s played for organizations that introduce music to children, that bring healing music to hospitals and group homes. She was recently awarded an opportunity to play with the Royal Philharmonic in 2025. She is praying to make it to that event and beyond.

While in cancer treatments, Anna Maria continues to work to help pay for the treatment, but this is becoming much more difficult for her. We, her family, are helping as much as we can, but the costs are overwhelming. We are asking for assistance from you, our trusted families, friends and fellow communities to help in any way you can. 

SPECIAL NOTE

Unfortunately, the nature of the music industry that Anna Maria is part of can make it difficult for a musician to come forward with such a diagnosis since many performances are booked a year or more in advance. 

Some booking agents won’t want to take a chance on an artist who is ill. We would like to keep this fundraiser private and outside of the industry, if possible, since Anna Maria feels like it could be a “career-ender.” She’s already shown that she can continue to perform during her treatments, and would not book herself in the future if she felt she may not be able to make it. She understands the reasoning some agents must consider, but she doesn’t want to jeopardize her career if avoidable. This has been an added stress to our sister.

YOUR HELP IS APPRECIATED!

Please help us overcome this financial hurdle. Any contribution you can make will be met with sincere, heartfelt gratitude. This is intended to be the first of many updates on Anna Maria. Please share this with anyone you feel would like to help. 

Anna Maria tells us that she has felt the power of prayer as she fights this, so please keep her in your prayers, and know that she will keep you in her prayers.

Thank you, and God bless you!

The Mendieta family