A Midland woman is in need of community help

MIDLAND, Texas – A Midland woman is looking for any form of help. After going out of town, she said she came back and found not only her house damaged but also the people living inside.

Midland woman Martha Santilla said she spent a month and a half in Mexico before returning home in the worst.

“I was there for a month and a half, and when I got home, my house was broken into and someone was in my house,” says Santillan.

Last year, Santillan was hit by a drunk driver, forcing her to undergo surgery. When she went to the medical professionals, they diagnosed her with cancer and a brain tumor.

“Not only did I have cancer, I was diagnosed with a tumor,” says Santillan.

She had the opportunity to go to a hospital in Monterrey, Mexico for surgery and treatment for her cancer, and of course, she accepted.

When she returned home, she was horrified by what she found. People had vandalized her house, and had lived in it, the whole time she was gone.

“A friend of mine told me about a hospital in Monterrey, Mexico, and I was alone, and they convinced me I had cancer and it was advanced,” adds Santillan.

When she returned home, she was completely shocked at the situation she had come to see.

“I just opened the door and the lights were on, the TV was on, my heart was beating a hundred miles an hour, where I was just terrified,” adds Santilan in horror.

At this point, the squatters appear to have left the house, but now Santilan is even more terrified, and doesn’t feel safe in his own home, with all the damage it has left. .

Santillan was alone during her trip to Mexico, and she was scared to have her own treatments and procedures, but not as scared as she is now, in a home that no longer feels safe.

“I am alone, and I have no one to help me. But I’m still paranoid, I’ve broken windows, broken doors,” said Santallan.

Now, Santillan is completely disabled and can’t fix her home on her own – or even pay for the necessary repairs.

She added, “When I got home, my door was stuck and everything, my room where I was also locked, everything was kicked in.”

Now, thankfully everyone in the community is looking for her and trying to find ways to help her in any way they can, including Rachel Swanson, who is trying to raise awareness through the side-by-side app.

Swanson said, “This person needs to be heard, this person needs to be understood, they need support, How can you hear a story like this without trying to just help the advocate?”

Santillan hopes repairs can be made soon and she can move on with her life, but also said the fear will stay with her forever. Now, she’s just trying to focus on beating the cancer.

“I’m just trying to stay alive and go ahead, make sure and see if I can fight this cancer,” said Santillan.

She’s grateful for the community that has come together and for people like Swanson who are looking to help her, and hopes that if you see something like this happening around you, you speak up. .