About Me

Profile

About:

I was born and raised in Corpus Christi, TX, on June 30, 1993, to my two parents Ramon and Elisa Patlan. Being the middle child of three, family means everything to me and always comes first. My three nephews, Brendan, Ryan and Evan, mean the world to me, and I cannot imagine what it would be like without them. They can make bad days great. As for the rest of my relatives, I have a huge over the top family consisting of over thirty first cousins who have started having their own children. Gatherings are always eventful, but I would not have it any differently.

I am a third year Communication Sciences and Disorders: Deaf Education major. I am typically not one to sit for too long, and I love to do things unplanned. When something is sudden, I am much more likely to do it. I love ice cream and Italian food. I could eat pizza everyday and never get tired of it. But, most importantly, I love being surrounded by great, fun people who I can be myself around.

Ever since I can remember, I have been affected by cancer. Several years ago, my uncle was diagnosed with cancer and has gone through countless treatments since then. It has progressed to the point of having his colon removed and needing to use tubes and bags to rid him of waste. Around the same time, another aunt of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer and was forced to have a mastectomy. I’ve also had many family friends push through treatments to currently be cancer-free. One memory that sticks out is my neighbour’s young grandchild that had to go through treatments around the age of 8. I cannot stand the fact that something like this occurs. Because of this disease, I never had the opportunity to meet my fantastic grandpa that I hear so much about. But the reason for all that I do is because I lost the best grandma a boy could ask for. She was one of the bravest people in my life. I watched her start with radiation. When the news came that it had spread, she jumped into chemotherapy. The last thing she had done was having her left eye removed because painful tumours had surrounded it. As a result, I feel like she was absent for one of the most important events in my life, my graduation. For all my older cousins, she was able to buy their graduation rings and support them so much. She went to their graduations and sat as close as possible. My grandma never got to witness mine: the one who was the most decorated of all her grandchildren and graduated salutatorian of his high school. Almost everything I do is for her. I was co-captain of a team for Relay for Life, which raises money for the American Cancer Society, for two years as a junior and senior in high school. I am part of organizations like Relay for Life so that someone else will not have to watch their young child go through treatment, not have to watch the pain of a loved one suffer through treatments, and not experience the pain of losing a loved one. Texas 4000 represents everything she taught me and everything I fight for. I want to ride in her honor and ride for those who cannot do it themselves.

Why I Ride

I ride for friends who have had to face cancer multiple times whether themselves, with a loved one, or both, and pulled through treatments that were never guaranteed to rid them of the disease.

I ride so people will not have to encounter the battle against cancer and watch a loved one go through treatment. It is almost unbearable to watch someone go through pain that you can do nothing to relieve. It is unfair to see the tumors that cause individuals so much suffering. It hurts to lose someone who put up such a strong and powerful fight only to fall victim to the disease’s wrath.

I ride so that some other child out there can have their grandparents around to cook for them when they visit, tell them stories as they sit on their lap, rock them as they fall asleep, or hug them after they walk the stage.

I ride for everyone that has ever been affected by cancer whether directly or indirectly. Whether we are aware or not, all of our lives have been touched by cancer with something as simple as an “I <3 boobies” bracelet or losing the one you were supposed to grow old with. It is a harsh reality that we can fight.

I ride, most importantly for the extraordinary cause and the incredible organization that is Texas 4000.