On April 6, one fighter met another.
Gllroy boxing legend Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero was introduced to Caley Camarillo, a 12-year-old Gilroy girl battling cystic fibrosis and presented her with her own title belt—a physical symbol of her strength—during his Breathe for Caley fundraiser in her honor at Morgan Hill Cellars.
“(Camarillo) is a true champion,” Guerrero said.
It was the first time Camarillo, who sat in her pink zebra print wheelchair, had been in public in longer than she or her mother Teresa Camarillo could remember. Seeing the more than 150 people who attended the fundraiser and the picturesque venue adorned with purple balloons, signs and table clothes—the color for CF—was incredible, but overwhelming for the Camarillos. The event raised more than $15,000 for Caley’s medical care, which the family will use to get a second opinion to get her on the lung transplant list.
“I was way emotional,” Teresa said. “I was happy for her, happy for the community coming out and supporting us. At the same time, it reminds me of the reason why we’re there. That for me was tough, and it’s tough to digest, and it’s tough to sit there and hold it (together) and (be) strong for Caley.”
It was emotional for Caley, too, who teared up after being welcomed like royalty. She looked like a princess in a tutu-style dress and nails painted in her signature purple color with lines of people waiting for their chance to say “hello.”
“It feels amazing,” Caley said. “It’s so cool that all these people are coming to support me. I really appreciate it.”
An infectious smile lingered on Camarillo’s face, and despite having to wear an oxygen cannula breathing apparatus, Teresa said there were brief moments where Caley was able to forget about her illness. Monday was an unpleasant reminder; however, as Caley was overly exhausted and needed her oxygen turned up.
But the price paid was overshadowed by Caley’s joy.
“(It’s wonderful) just seeing her smile and be happy and be out of the house and remembering what it’s like to have a life outside of cystic fibrosis,” Teresa said. “Those are memories that we’re going to hold on to.”
Caley has been home for just more than two weeks after leaving Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto in hopes of receiving a second opinion for a lung transplant from a hospital in Texas. Teresa said Caley’s lung function has been consistent at 35 percent, a positive sign that she will be able to make the trip to Texas. Any decline in her lung function will leave her unable to travel and possibly land her back in the hospital.
For Guerrero, who has known Caley’s father Martin since childhood, the event hit close to home. His wife, Casey, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2007, and he put his career on hold to be by her side and help her win her fight against cancer. Similarly, Teresa said that her and her husband have done the same—shutting out the world to focus solely on the care of their children. In turn, relationships with families such as the Guerreros have fallen by the wayside. When the Gilroy boxer offered up his help, the Camarillos were stunned.
“There wasn’t really a life outside of our home for my husband or myself,” Teresa said. “At some point those connections were lost with the Guerrero family. So for Robert to just step in and remember back to when there was a relationship and he felt like he had to do something—that means so much to us. He doesn’t owe us anything. He didn’t have to do that.”
But for Guerrero, the decision to help came as naturally as throwing a punch.
“Seeing what Martin is going through—I can’t even imagine (what that’s like) being a father and your daughter going through that,” Guerrero said. “It really hits home. It really hits home knowing what he has to go through as a caregiver and everything. That’s where I know how it feels.”
“Breathe for Caley” was put together in just two-and-a-half weeks by the committee of Casey Guerrero, Maria Cid, Alexis Santiago and Patrick Kenny. The timing was crucial for Robert Guerrero as he wanted to guarantee he’d be there before he leaves for training for his next fight.
“Now it’s getting kind of critical with the position they’re at, so I wanted to do anything we can to help,” Robert said. “(I’m) just stepping up as a person in the community, as a family friend helping out. If you have the ability to do something, do it. That’s the way I look at it.”
For Caley, the event was a glimpse into the future she’s fighting so hard to have. While tears escaped the eyes of her family and friends, the 12-year-old basked in feeling the warm sunshine on her skin and said that she’s determined to have this feeling again.
“I just know that no matter what I’m going through at the moment, it’s going to get better,” Caley said. “Once I finish with my hospital admissions, then I’ll be ready to go out and do fun stuff.”
