Joseph sitting on the bed, pulling down his mask and looking at the camera

Lima, Peru · 26 years old · Web developer

I’m a programmer.
And I have leukemia.

I used to write code every day. Today my biggest project is staying alive. This is my story.

I want to help Read my story ↓

First of all

My name is Joseph.

My name is Joseph Williams Vega Callupe. I was born on February 16, 2000 in Lima, Peru. I’m 26 and I live off what I love most: building things on the web.

Today I’m facing an illness that changed my life completely:

B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

We programmers live by fixing bugs. This time the bug isn’t on my screen: it’s in my blood.

Chapter 1 · The symptoms

It all began with a tiredness that wasn’t normal.

Walking one block left me so breathless that I had to stop to breathe.

Headaches and throbbing pains appeared. I live on the third floor and climbing the stairs became a battle: my head felt like it was pounding.

I thought it was just fatigue. A passing problem. I went to a clinic for a general check-up.

Pale, exhausted Joseph in front of a hospital bathroom mirror
I had no strength left. And I still didn’t know why.

My hemoglobin

4.2

A normal value for an adult man is around 13 to 17. The doctor told me I needed a transfusion urgently.

Close-up of Joseph’s eye showing paleness caused by anemia
The paleness said it all.

Chapter 2 · The diagnosis

And then I heard the words that changed everything.

I went to Cayetano Heredia Hospital. More tests, more studies. That’s where I got the news: B-cell ALL.

I spent about two days in the emergency room. There was no space. I stayed in a hallway, with no proper bed or chair, freezing cold.

Sleeping was impossible: patients in pain, others disoriented or delirious in the early hours, the constant coming and going of equipment and medical staff.

Joseph lying down with a mask in the emergency hallway next to a family member
Two days in the emergency hallway, with my family beside me.
Joseph sitting next to a blood transfusion bag in the emergency hallway
Blood transfusion, sitting on a folding chair.
Bag of red blood cells for transfusion hanging from a pole
Red blood cells that gave me back my energy.
Joseph looking at the camera during a blood transfusion
Looking at the camera. Not fully understanding yet.

My life, in git format

$ git log --oneline
a1f fix: hemoglobin 4.2 → urgent transfusion
b2c feat: B-cell ALL diagnosis
c3d chore: 2 days in an emergency hallway
d4e feat: 2 months admitted in oncology
e5f bug: KPC infection
f60 wip: still here, still fighting▍

Chapter 3 · Two months in hospital

My office became a hospital bed.

I was moved to another ward, where I stayed about two months under oncology care.

Timeline

How my body changed

  1. When I arrived

    Still with my hair

    Tired and pale, but with my hair and half of my strength. My family was by my side.

    Joseph in hospital pajamas and a mask, hugged by a family member
    My family’s hug held me up.

  2. First weeks

    IVs, tests and pain

    Blood tests were almost every other day. They drew blood so many times that my arms ached.

    • Joseph lying down with an IV in his arm in the hospital bed

      An IV in my arm and another night ahead.

    • Joseph showing both arms with IV lines and a hospital wristband

      IVs in both arms.

    • Joseph lying down wearing a mask in a hospital bed

      Tired, but with a steady gaze.

  3. Weeks go by

    My body weakens

    The medication caused bone pain. Spending so much time in bed and losing muscle made every position hurt. I had to shift position constantly.

    • Joseph sitting on the edge of the bed next to the IV pole

      The weeks kept passing.

    • Joseph lying in the hospital bed using his phone

      My phone became my window to the world.

    • Joseph lying in the hospital bed with his phone in hand

      Whole days in bed.

    • Joseph lying in the hospital bed with his phone

      With my mask always nearby.

  4. The hair falls out

    The beanie

    Chemotherapy started taking my hair. I began wearing a beanie.

    • Joseph wearing a beanie, sitting on the bed in room 469

      I started wearing a beanie.

    • Joseph in a cap and mask sitting beside the IV pole at the hospital

      Another IV session. Sitting, waiting.

    • Joseph wearing a beanie, lying under a blanket in room 471

      Resting under a blanket.

  5. The day I shaved

    Moving forward

    The moment came to shave what little was left. But I had to keep going.

    Joseph wearing a mask while his head is shaved because of chemotherapy
    Shaving my head. The chemo was already showing.

  6. Today

    Shaved, thinner, stronger

    The days, the IV drips and the exhaustion go on. My body changed. My decision to fight did not.

    • Joseph with a shaved head reading, sitting on his hospital bed

      Shaved, reading in my bed.

    • Shaved Joseph lying down receiving intravenous treatment in room 471

      IV drips and treatment, day after day.

    • Joseph with a shaved head, wearing a mask and a green blanket, lying in his hospital bed

      Thinner, no hair, but steady.

    • Shaved Joseph wearing glasses, sitting in his isolation bed behind a curtain

      In isolation, behind a curtain.

    • Catheter placed in Joseph’s chest

      The catheter in my chest.

  7. A breather

    Outside, my hair coming back

    A little sunshine and fresh air with my mom. My hair is starting to come back, and so is my will.

    • Joseph and his mom taking a selfie under the trees of a park

      A day outside, with my mom.

    • Joseph and his mom in a park, with his mask pulled down

      Fresh air, family and the will to keep going.

    • Joseph lying on the grass with his phone, next to his mom

      Resting on the grass, finally in the open air.

Chapter 4 · What I lived through inside

Small things. But lived for weeks, they weigh heavily.

Each one might seem minor on its own. But living them for weeks and months, while facing leukemia, is completely different.

▶ My video from the hospital: the broken air conditioner, dripping.

Nights with almost no sleep left me confused and exhausted.

Chapter 5 · My family

They were my strength.

Having my family close meant everything. When you’ve been hospitalized and weak for so long, the support of the people you love is part of the strength to keep going.

At times security staff set restrictions or got annoyed by visits. There were moments when it was hard to get the things I needed for my hygiene or my food brought to me.

My mom was by my side every step of the way. She put on the isolation gown so she could come in and take care of me, and she never left me alone.

And my girlfriend, who was also there through the whole process, holding me up when I needed it most.

Joseph wearing a beanie next to his mom, who wears an isolation gown to take care of him
My mom, in her isolation gown, taking care of me.
Joseph in a beanie and mask next to his mom, also masked, at the hospital
My mom and me, mask to mask.

Chapter 6 · The money

Every test, every taxi, every medicine, one more worry.

Not all tests could be done at the hospital. When they were missing, I had to get them done outside, paying out of pocket.

I lived far away. The hospital’s tests were very early in the morning, and so as not to miss them I had to go by taxi.

Transport, outside tests, medication, food, every day in hospital. It all adds up.

Shaved Joseph flashing a peace sign from his hospital bed
Even so, I smile. I still want to win this fight.

My request

I’m telling my story today because I need help to keep going.

I want to keep receiving the medical care I need and cover what comes up along the way: transport, tests, food, lodging.

I’m looking to continue my treatment in Spain, where I hope to find an alternative to keep fighting.

I’m not asking anyone to solve my whole situation. I’m asking for a chance to keep fighting.

You can help me with

Donations

How you can support me

Support for my treatment against B-cell ALL leukemia, medication, tests and medical expenses.

🌎 From any country (including Peru)

Donate with PayPal

If the button does not load, use the link above.

Message me on WhatsApp

+51 927 834 271

💬 I want to help Joseph

My illness changed my life, but I don’t want it to be the end of my story.

  • I want to keep fighting.
  • I want to continue my treatment.
  • I want to build my life again.

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who read, shared, helped, or simply stayed with me through their words.

I’m still here. 💛

Frequently asked questions

Who is Joseph Vega?

Joseph Williams Vega Callupe is a 26-year-old Peruvian web developer, born in Lima on February 16, 2000, who was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at Cayetano Heredia Hospital and is seeking to continue his treatment in Spain.

What is B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)?

It is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow in which too many immature B lymphocytes are produced. It progresses quickly and needs immediate treatment, usually chemotherapy, hospitalization and frequent blood monitoring.

How can I help Joseph?

You can donate, cover a medical test, a ride, food or lodging, or simply share his story. Message him on WhatsApp at +51 927 834 271 to coordinate your support.

How can I donate to Joseph?

From Peru you can donate via Yape or a BCP bank transfer (soles account or interbank); the details are in the “How you can support me” section at the bottom of this page. From any country, including Peru, you can donate securely with PayPal. Funds go toward his treatment against B-cell ALL leukemia, medication, tests and medical expenses.

What will the help be used for?

To continue medical treatment and cover outside tests, transport, medication, food, lodging and the costs of a possible move to Spain.

💬 Help via WhatsApp