Charity

What an amazing group of people! No words can say anything more than thank you!
UVU students raising money for cancer stricken classmate
Daily Herald

Giving a Dime
OREM -- Two months ago Jose Padilla was a model student at UVU. He rarely missed class and was always involved in classroom discussions and projects.
Two months ago Padilla got a phone call that changed his life forever.
After several days of nose bleeds Padilla went to the health clinic where they ran several tests and sent him home. That evening he got a call saying he needed to go to the ER immediately.
"I had just come home from work and I was tired and thought I will just go tomorrow, but my wife and I decided to go the ER where they did more tests," Padilla said. "Around 1 a.m. the doctors said, 'we think you might have leukemia,' and sent me to LDS Hospital to get a firm diagnosis."
On Feb. 20, Padilla was diagnosed with leukemia.
"My life changed," he said. Padilla has been unable to work since he started getting chemotherapy and is confined to his home in Pleasant Grove to lower his chances of getting sick.
Padilla dropped several classes but worked with his entrepreneurship professor to do his work at home. Now students from that class are using their final project to help Padilla and his family raise money to pay for medical expenses and bills.
"We realized the insurance isn't going to cover a lot of the expenses he has in his everyday life," junior Jonathan Goudy said. "It is one thing to have a life-threatening disease but then to realize it is going to tear you down financially. You shouldn't have to worry about finances if you are struggling with your health."
The students typically create real world business models as their final projects, but this time they put that model into actual use with a nonprofit known as Giving-A-Dime.
The class created a video sharing Padilla's story in the hopes that once people get to know him they will open their hearts a little more. Since Monday they've raised close to $1,000.
"We wanted to see if people knew Jose personally if they would open up their hearts and people have," Goudy said.
The students are hoping to make it viable on a larger scale.
"Jose is kind of the inspiration for the project but what we would like is to be a model for a future nonprofit organization that could be set up for students who are diagnosed with and illness or experience tragedy to help them get back on their feet," said Christopher Baily, senior at UVU.
Padilla recently finished his first round of chemotherapy and will start his second round in May. He hopes to return to school and work in the fall.
Padilla said he has been overwhelmed by the support from his fellow students.
"This can happen to anyone of us. I never expected something like this to happen to me, but I look at how good people have been to me," Padilla said. "When this is over I am going to be sure to pay it forward and help those I can help and especially those who are going through something similar as me."
The Giving-A-Dime campaign will be holding a 5K fun run and walk at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Canyon View Park in Provo Canyon. Registration can be done the day of the race starting at 7:30 a.m. or online at givingadime.org. All proceeds will benefit Padilla.
To see Padilla's story or donate to the cause visit www.givingadime.org.
Copyright 2012 Daily Herald. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted in Orem, College, Paige-fieldsted on Thursday, April 19, 2012 12:26 am Updated: 2:01 pm. | Tags: Orem, Jose Padilla, Utah Valley University, Giving A Dime, Jonathan Goudy, Christopher Baily, Entrepreneur Class, Fundraising



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