Annandale family beset by tragedy needs help from the community

From the left: Liza, Clara, Jaime, and Humberto Diaz.

The Diaz family of Annandale has been ravaged by several forms of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the economic fallout from COVID-19. 

Jaime Diaz – the sole breadwinner who is supporting eight family members in his townhouse, ranging in age from 5 to 83 – has become financially and emotionally overwhelmed. 

The family is doing their best to overcome their adversities and pay their bills, Jaime says, but has finally come to the realization that they need help from the community. As a result, he has reluctantly decided to reach out through a GoFundMe campaign. 

Jaime has lived in Annandale for 25 years, and the house is owned by his parents, Humberto and Clara. They had been living in Chile, where Humberto worked at the U.S. embassy. 

But then when Clara was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2017, they moved back to Annandale so she could get better care. Jaime and his parents are U.S. citizens. 

Jaime’s sister, Vania, who had been living in Chile, moved back to the Annandale home with her two children to care for Clara.   

Humberto Diaz

In March, Humberto, a cancer and stroke survivor, learned during a routine follow-up exam, that he had colon cancer, and in April, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He will have surgery next week, followed by more chemotherapy. 

Jaime’s other sister, Liza, was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in December 2019. She and her husband and five-year-old son moved from Florida to the Annandale house so she could access the superior medical care at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, where her father was being treated. They couldn’t afford to rent another place while still paying the mortgage on their Florida house. 

As Liza was undergoing chemo, she learned in February that she also has liver cancer.  

Then the COVID-19 pandemic made everything even more difficult, Jaime says. His father lost his job as a part-time driver for private schools. Liza’s husband, who had been an essential worker in a grocery store, had to stop working to protect the health of the elderly and immunocompromised people living in their home.  

“Why us? How much more can we take?” says Jaime, who is now supporting a nine-person household. He has a job reviewing discrimination complaints for the D.C. government, and his parents together contribute about $1,100 a month in Social Security benefits – but that isn’t enough to support such a large family with significant medical needs. 

Humberto’s application for unemployment benefits was denied, and with all his troubles, he got behind on utility bills and property taxes. 

COVID brought new challenges. When Humberto’s doctors said everything in the house has to be sanitized, the family bought a new dishwasher. Now Home Depot is refusing to follow up on its promise to reimburse them for the $400 installation cost. 

Jaime Diaz says he’s never asked for help before, but “I’ve been trying everything.” While utility payments are on hold and late fees are suspended, the money owed is still piling up. 

Any donations people could provide would be most appreciated, he says. If anyone could donate a used refrigerator, that would be extremely helpful. 

Diaz is hopeful they can overcome these adversities. “We’re in good spirits,” he says. “We pray every day.”