Destinee Coronado was simply 10 years previous when her mother and father observed one thing appeared terribly unsuitable: The usually joyful, bubbly woman was sprawled throughout a set of chairs as an alternative of becoming a member of the dance ground at a marriage along with her household.
Her mother and father left the marriage early to take her to a hospital. There, medical doctors found a football-sized tumor on her ovary. She was identified with stage three ovarian most cancers and spent the following 5 months present process chemotherapy remedy. Immediately, she’s 18 years previous, recovered from her sickness and beginning her first yr of school at San Jose State College.
The medical payments drained her mother and father’ financial institution accounts — and probably would have pressured them to promote their rental — had it not been for the intervention of Store with a Cop Silicon Valley Basis, a neighborhood nonprofit that runs an annual vacation buying spree for youngsters in want. After Coronado’s prognosis, Darrell and Alicia Cortez, founder/government director and secretary, respectively, stepped as much as launch a fundraiser for the household that collected $10,000 – making certain that they saved a roof over their heads, had meals on their desk and weren’t frightened about their payments as their daughter underwent remedy.
“The family was not financially set, but at least they knew that they didn’t have to worry about that for a little while,” mentioned Alicia Cortez.
Seven years later, Store with a Cop Silicon Valley Basis is stepping as much as assist the household once more – this time to boost the funds for Coronado to attend school. Employees are hoping to boost $15,000 from Want E-book to permit them to assist pay these prices.
“I was very driven by the support and the love that they had given to me when I was sick, even though I didn’t really recognize that at the time,” Coronado mentioned. “They didn’t really have to do anything for me, but they just wanted to help me.”
Destinee Coronado, 17, poses for {a photograph} at her dwelling in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. At simply 10 years previous, Coronado was identified with stage 3 ovarian most cancers. Want E-book for Coronado with Store With a Cop Silicon Valley. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
“Given that they’ve already helped my family and I so much, I was surprised that they even offered (to help again),” Coronado added.
Store with a Cop Silicon Valley Basis was based in 2008 as Darrell Cortez was getting ready to retire from his job as an officer with the San Jose Police Division, Alicia Cortez mentioned. He had the thought of making a company based mostly on the mannequin of the nationwide Store with a Cop basis that would supply kids with a buying spree through the vacation season, which he continues to steer as government director as this system enters its 18th yr.
The group started with an inaugural annual buying journey, which paired 10 youngsters with 5 uniformed officers to buy vacation toys. Immediately, this system serves 180 third-graders from three elementary faculties who full a 10-week studying program. The group additionally distributes backpacks crammed with faculty provides in the beginning of the college yr.
Coronado’s household first crossed paths with the nonprofit when her mom Miriam Villanueva started volunteering round 2015. In a later yr, Coronado and her youthful brother have been beneficiaries of the buying spree.
After Coronado’s prognosis, she had surgical procedure to take away the tumor and her left ovary, then needed to endure 5 months of chemotherapy – lacking half of her fifth-grade faculty yr.
“I didn’t know what cancer was, I didn’t know what a tumor was, I didn’t know anything – I had no clue,” she mentioned. “I was just scared. … I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Coronado’s mom left her job to look after her full time, leaving her dad, Jovani Villanueva, as the only real breadwinner for the household.
“I had to divide myself — going to work, going to the hospital and then coming home,” he mentioned, noting that Store with a Cop Silicon Valley Basis’s fundraiser in all probability saved the household of their dwelling in San Jose. “I was trying to be as strong as much I could without breaking, but it was hard.”
Lacking half of fifth grade was the basis of Coronado’s educational insecurity and contributed to her conviction to pursue larger training, she mentioned, however she frightened about financially burdening her mother and father with the price of faculty. The price of her medical remedy drained not solely the fundraiser cash, but additionally the whole thing of her household’s financial savings, Jovani Villanueva mentioned.
“I held myself back from reaching a little further than I think I could have….just because I didn’t want to put the financial burden on my parents,” Coronado mentioned. “My end goal is to prove myself wrong just because I never really had faith in myself academically.”
However when Store with a Cop Silicon Valley Basis supplied to boost cash to assist pay for college, it gave her “a confidence boost,” she mentioned. Want E-book donations to the nonprofit will go towards paying for Coronado’s tuition, plus supplies, transportation and incidental prices.
Destinee Coronado, 17, and her father Jovani Villanueva are interviewed at their dwelling in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. At simply 10 years previous, Coronado was identified with stage 3 ovarian most cancers. Want E-book for Coronado with Store With a Cop Silicon Valley. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
“We felt blessed and grateful,” Jovani Villanueva mentioned. “The moment that we were told that they were raising this money, my wife and I got on our knees in our bedroom and we prayed. We’re very happy, we’re very blessed. And, for sure, it took off a lot of weight off our shoulders.”
Coronado started her first semester at San Jose State College in August, taking lessons in baby growth, English, historical past, statistics and public talking. She is pursuing a level in baby and adolescent growth with the purpose of turning into a trainer so she may also help tackle what she described as a “lack of resources for children” and provides again to the neighborhood.
“(My interest) started when I was in the hospital and I would see all the other kids on my level,” she mentioned. “The counselors and emotional therapists they had on the floor that would try to come in and make our day with … the little energy that they had and all the fun materials. I think it just kind of led me to want to give that to future generations.”
Additional down the highway, she desires to begin a nonprofit of her personal to assist kids – impressed by the work of Darrell and Alicia Cortez, she mentioned.
“Alicia and Darrell, they’re such beautiful human beings that I know that they also wanted to start something bigger, and they did,” Coronado mentioned. “I think that I also have it in me to do that.”
WISHDonations to Store with a Cop Basis will assist pay for Destinee Coronado’s school tuition and charges, supplies, transportation, residing bills and incidental prices. Purpose: $15,000 .
