Success Story

Everything was falling into place for Juan Alvarado Valdivia in the fall of 2008. He was finally following his dream and starting graduate school to earn his master's degree in creative writing.There was only one thing weighing on his mind. A couple of months earlier, Juan had felt a swollen lymph node near his collarbone. He went to his doctor, who ordered a series of tests.I wish I could tell you his swollen lymph node turned out to be nothing. But after months of blood tests, scans, and biopsies, the then 30-year-old learned he had Hodgkin's lymphoma - a rare form of cancer.Fortunately, he was being treated at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, where he was certain to receive the very best care as he fought his life-threatening illness.You may know that Zuckerberg San Francisco General is the only trauma center serving San Francisco and northern San Mateo County, a lifeline if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured or in need of emergency care. Yet trauma care is just part of what we do, day in and day out.We're your hospital - and we have been caring for our community for over 140 years. We provide high-quality, compassionate health care to over 100,000 patients each year, and we serve as the safety net for our neighbors in need. I'm glad to tell you that despite all Juan went through, he earned his master's degree on time. He's now cancer-free and in complete remission. Married in 2014, he wrote a memoir about his life, illness, and recovery, which was just published.With you right beside us, we can save more lives like Juan's. Together, we can bring all who need us the best chance for a healthy, hopeful tomorrow!