"I asked myself that question many times when I was fourteen and brushed my mom’s hair or teeth when she couldn’t anymore. Cancer is an awful disease. Cancer tore my family apart in ways that I could’ve never possibly imagined.

 I'm twenty years old now, but I carry that experience with me every single day like it just happened. No one guided me through the process or told me that the ugly parts of grieving last for many many years after losing someone you love. After so many years of, anger, tears, and all the negative emotions imaginable, I grew so tired of having nothing come out of it.

 PELDEM embodies everything that I have learned. Our relationships with our families set the foundation for the rest of our lives, and especially in Latino households, family comes before anything else.

 Whether you are the kid in the family losing the strongest love you’ve ever known, a spouse losing the person you built your life with, or the mom fighting for her life with every breath, nothing about fighting cancer or a terminal illness is easy on the household.

 Our goal is to provide as much support as possible in the areas that mom usually takes care of so that the family can focus on their relationship and the time they have left together. Every decision we make from here on out is in hopes of spreading kindness, patience, and lots of love. Thank you for joining us on this journey" 

Norma Rodriguez Arguelles

Norma Rodriguez Arguelles grew up in Houston, Texas. She graduted in of fall '23 with a Bachelors of Science in bioenvironmental sciences.