Cancer patient, family grateful for support from community

A friend is making Ceja's mortgage payments for now.
By DEBORA SHAULIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- If you see Kevin Ceja today, he probably won't complain about the radiation burns on his torso or his thinning hair, both the fallout of his ongoing cancer treatments.
He is grateful for his family and the generosity of Mahoning Valley residents this holiday season.
"As far as I'm concerned, I'm more fortunate than anybody I can think of," Ceja said Friday.
It's been a month since Ceja told The Vindicatorital about his struggle with stage four lung cancer, his inability to work and the possibility of foreclosure on his family's Millet Avenue home on the city's West Side.
Since then, he married his fianc & eacute;e, Marcella Belfiore, in a ceremony Dec. 8 that was officiated by Judge David A. D'Apolito of Mahoning County Court in Austintown.
The couple has two children, 4-year-old Marcellana and 2-year-old James Antonio.
The day was great, except for the bride misplacing the shoes she wanted to wear, Ceja said.
Ceja finished his second course of chemotherapy two weeks ago. He had to take a week off from his radiation treatments because "I was a disaster, getting really torn up inside," he said.
As of Friday, he had eight more radiation treatments ahead of him. He's scheduled to see his radiation oncologist in early January, after which time he will undergo tests to determine if the cancer has been stopped.
"Some days I sleep 20 hours," Ceja said. "I fall asleep with my coat on after radiation." It's been difficult for him to swallow, which also makes it difficult for him to eat. He's lost "quite a bit of weight," he said.
Grateful for gifts
Ceja also has a lump in his throat from all of the gifts he and his family have received.
"You can't even imagine how good it makes you feel," Ceja said of the help he's received.
The owners and staff of Southwind Transportation Inc. in Austintown gave the Cejas gift certificates for supermarkets and stores. Workers drove to their house to deliver Christmas presents for the children, he said.
Customers and co-workers at City Limits Restaurant on McCartney Road, where Marcella Ceja works, took up a cash collection. United Auto Workers Local 1112 and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Eagles Lodge in Austintown donated food baskets; the ladies' auxiliary also donated cash.
Teachers at Leonard Kirtz School, where Marcellana attends a Head Start program, collected money to buy Christmas presents.
Many other people and organizations chipped in, including two ladies on Social Security who wrote him checks and apologized that they couldn't give him more money. They "broke my heart," he said.
Place to stay
Ceja's friend Nicky Doinoff, who owns Ultimate Protection Inc. in Boardman and a designated-driver service called DD for Hire, is paying Ceja's mortgage until he either receives Social Security disability benefits or is able to return to work.
"We have a place to stay now. We don't have to worry about getting thrown out," Ceja said, his voice trembling.
Ceja also has been helped by his parents, who drive him to his treatments, and his sisters, he said.
As the new year approaches, Ceja will be able to focus on his health. The contributions "have taken a lot of stress off of me," he said.
As for his outlook on the cancer, "It's just a chest cold now," he said. "We're not even going to think there's anything left."
If you would like to help Kevin Ceja and his family, a special account has been established at Sky Bank. Contributions can be made at any branch.
shaulis@vindy.com