Juan Cadena recalls the moment he was diagnosed with cancer.

“Seemed like my world just went upside down,” Cadena said.

Cadena, 52, is fighting stage four neuroendocrine carcinoma cancer.

The agricultural science teacher at Weslaco High School was first diagnosed in 2018. 

“I had gone back to do my scan, and the doctor said it kind of got a little worse… so we're going to have to do radiation,” Cadena recalled.

When one of his students got word of Cadena's cancer spreading, she jumped into action.

“I've never seen him so hurt or so down, so I thought to myself, ‘there has to be something I can do,’” Weslaco High School senior Camryn Bravo said. 

Bravo says Cadena is not just a teacher — he's a mentor who has changed her life for the better. 

“Anytime I had a bad day or there was a bad moment, I’d tell him all my problems, or I’d tell him what’s wrong, and he'd not only give me advice about goats and animals, but about life," Bravo said.

Bravo planned a Winter Wonderland Festival for Mr. Cadena that was held last month. 

“I hit the ground running, I had three weeks to throw this on,” Bravo said.

Bravo organized the entire holiday event, getting over 25 vendors involved, pictures with Santa, hay rides and other activities for the family with the goal of raising $2,500 for Cadena.

The festival raised $8,000.

It’s a selfless act that Cadena says left him speechless. 

“For them to do this for me, it shows that they care,” Cadena said. “I care for their kids… and it’s just a blessing."

Cadena says the money will help pay for travel related expenses to Houston, where is currently receiving treatment.

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