Sitting in a retina specialist’s exam room last week, my mom shook her head and looked down as the doctor told us the news about her left eye.

I tried translating all the medical jargon as well as I could. But the tone of the doctor’s voice and look on his face said it all.

I hugged my mom afterwards as we waited to find out about her next appointment.

“No te preocupes, Mami (Don’t worry)” I told her, sounding like a broken record.

After a seemingly endless array of medical procedures, including her recent toe surgery, my mom’s latest affliction is an abnormal growth of blood vessels in her left eye. It’s been swollen and red, causing her a lot of discomfort and pain. She can’t see out of it.

The doctor was hoping the pressure in her eye would come down after an injection and higher dosage of eye drops. It did but not enough. He recommended I take her to a glaucoma specialist as soon as possible. There’s a good chance she’ll need surgery, but there’s no guarantee she’ll regain her vision.

Later that afternoon, my mom sat in the kitchen looking pensive.

“Estoy triste (I’m sad),” she said to me, explaining she doesn’t want to lose her eyesight.

While I’ve tried to remain optimistic, it’s becoming increasingly harder to do so. As caregivers, we tell our loved ones that there’s hope and for a while we believe it. But there are moments when hope isn’t enough.

So I reached out to friends and family last week and asked them for their help. Can they call my mom and try to cheer her up? Can they pray for her or send good vibes our way?

Yesterday, as we celebrated Mother’s Day, I was struck by how relaxed and content my mom seemed. A steady stream of visitors dropped by the house. A colorful array of flowers adorned her kitchen. The smell of grilled chicken, veggies and turkey burgers filled the house.

Our worries aren’t over. But at least Mom knows that she’s not alone and that in spite of what ails her, we – her family and friends – will always be there to support her and lift her spirits.