From brink of loss to life of healing, Aracely Castro’s inspiring journey to TCOM
Aracely Castro’s path to medicine isn’t too unusual when you take a deep dive into
how she ended up at UNT Health Fort Worth's Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine.
A strong high school program that emphasized health professions, a biology degree,
and a highly decorated research student…but what it doesn’t show is crushing moments
when Aracely, her mother and her father had to fight with every fiber of their being
to stay alive.
When Aracely Castro was 16, she lay in a hospital bed, frightened and in pain, struggling
to understand what was happening to her body. Just days earlier, she had been attending
high school classes. She had learned that a brain tumor threatened her life. She faced
surgery, radiation and a recovery that would test her in ways she could never have
imagined.
“I told my mom I felt like I was going to die,” Castro said. “My head was going to
explode because my head hurt so much.”
A few years later, she would sit beside her father as physicians fought to save his
life, praying through the night while her family faced the possibility of losing him.
In between those moments of fear and uncertainty, Castro discovered something that
would shape the rest of her life -- the profound difference a compassionate physician
can make when a patient and family are at their most vulnerable.
Today, as a first-generation college graduate and the first one from her family to
pursue medicine, Castro carries those experiences with her. They have informed her
understanding of medicine, strengthened her commitment to patient-centered care, and
given her a personal understanding of what patients and their families need when the
future feels uncertain.
Her journey to medical school was not a straight path. It was marked by illness, difficult
recoveries, academic challenges and years of caring for the people she loved. But
through each experience, Castro found new reasons to pursue medicine — and a deeper
understanding of the physician she hopes to become.
A diagnosis that changed everything
Raised in San Antonio after moving from El Paso at age 9, Castro was a high school
junior in Nov. 2017 when she began experiencing what seemed like an ordinary illness.
She had congestion and a cold, but the headaches that followed quickly became impossible
to ignore.
By late November, she was experiencing as many as 16 headaches a day. After an initial
visit to her primary care physician, her symptoms worsened dramatically. While sitting
in her English class, she developed the worst headache of her life. She began vomiting,
her vision blurred, her left arm weakened and her speech became slurred.
“At night, when I would try to go to sleep, and it was quiet, I would have ringing
in my ears where it sounded like a baby was crying. That’s how bad it was,” Castro
said.
Her mother took her to the doctor, where another physician recognized the urgency
of her condition and directed her to the hospital.
At the emergency department, Castro could barely walk. She struggled to pronounce
words and had even forgotten her birthday. An MRI revealed the cause -- a craniopharyngioma,
a brain tumor near her pituitary gland that was obstructing the flow of cerebrospinal
fluid.
The diagnosis came on Dec. 11, 2017. Surgery was needed immediately to relieve the
pressure and drain the excess fluid.
As the physician explained the situation to her mother, Castro noticed the fear on
her mother's face. She wanted to know what the diagnosis meant for her future.
She asked the question no parent wants to hear from their child: “Do I have cancer? Am I going to die?”
The physician explained the tumor using the analogy of a sink, helping her understand
how the growth had blocked the normal flow of fluid in her brain. Although the tumor
was benign, its location and size made it dangerous. Without timely treatment, she
could have lost her vision.
Neurosurgeon Dr. David Jimenez, a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon, performed
the surgery to remove the tumor. In the days that followed, he did more than oversee
her medical care. He sat with her, explained what was happening and offered encouragement
as she struggled through recovery.
When Castro awoke after surgery, she began laughing at a joke Dr. Jimenez had made
when he asked her where her hair went. He then told her, “See, I promised you that
I will keep your hair long and beautiful and you will not look like a monster.”
Despite her relief, the ordeal was far from over.
She had difficulty walking, eating and regaining strength. She continued to experience
headaches and relied on medication. Her parents remained at her bedside, her younger
brother brought her food, and friends and teachers visited and sent letters.
Each night, Castro and her mother prayed together. She was discharged Dec. 23, but
because the surgeons could not remove the entire tumor, she needed eight weeks of
daily radiation therapy treatment beginning in Feb. 2018, something she did not want
to do.
“I was very scared for my first radiation therapy,” Castro said. “I was telling my
mom how scared I was at my first session in the waiting room, but then I saw a little
boy in the waiting room with me. He was so happy, and I went over and talked to his
parents and learned his story. He had a similar brain tumor as I did, had two surgeries
and was paralyzed. Seeing him so happy gave me the strength to know that if he could
do it, then I could do it.”
She returned to school while preparing for college entrance exams, attending radiation
appointments after classes and enduring nausea, headaches, hair loss and burns on
her face. Castro did not ask for extended time on assignments or exams; instead, she
used it as motivation.
“I was driven due to this second chance in life,” Castro said. “Being the first one
in my family to attend college and pursue a career in medicine, I submitted my homework
assignments and completed my exams on the same day as everyone else.”
Castro completed radiation in June 2018, grateful for the ability to walk, return
to her routines and continue building her future.
But another important part of her future had already begun to take shape.
Discovering the power of a physician's compassion
Before Castro left the hospital, Jimenez asked about her goals in life and what she
wanted to become. She was enrolled in a high school pre-health program, but she had
not yet decided on a career.
He invited her to shadow him at his clinic once she had recovered.
In July 2018, she began observing his work as a pediatric neurosurgeon. She saw frightened
parents confronting difficult diagnoses for their children, their faces reflecting
the same uncertainty she remembered from her own family's experience.
Castro saw how the presence of someone who had experienced a similar illness could
help ease their fears. When Jimenez introduced her to families, she could share something
more meaningful than medical information alone -- the perspective of someone who had
once occupied the hospital bed herself.
“He would introduce me as a former patient of his and look at her now,” Castro said.
“I noticed they felt more relieved with someone who had shared their experiences.”
The pivotal moment came when she had an opportunity to be in the operating room with
Dr. Jimenez, where he conducted a delicate surgery on infants. Castro remembers it
vividly.
“I was in awe of his meticulous methods,” she said. “When the surgery was done, he
would ensure the babies looked presentable by gently cleaning them up, combing their
hair to cover their incision sites. Witnessing the profound care he had for his patients and the emotional experience
of the parents was heartwarming and inspiring.”
“I accompanied him to deliver the great news to the parents. With tears in their eyes,
they hugged Dr. Jimenez and extended their gratitude. This was the moment I was certain
that being a physician was the path I wanted to pursue so that I could directly positively
impact others by providing medical support and lifting their spirits during their
difficult and vulnerable moments.”
Castro had learned so much from Jimenez, who unfortunately died in 2023, but the example
he set influenced Castro's aspirations.
Then, as she was beginning to understand the type of physician she wanted to become,
her family faced another crisis.
A wife's extraordinary gift
In 2019, Castro's father was diagnosed with advanced kidney failure. The news came
suddenly, and he needed dialysis immediately. A kidney transplant offered hope, but
the family needed to find a suitable donor.
“He needed a transplant,” Castro said. “He had some time, but they needed to find
one quickly. It was very sad to see him struggling.”
As her father's health declined, Castro watched him lose weight and energy. The experience
was painful for a daughter who had already seen how quickly illness could change a
family's life. Her father's siblings were not suitable matches. It was then, Castro's
mother took matters into her own hand.
“Mom went to the hospital to see if she was a match, and by the grace of God she was,”
Castro said. “At first my dad said no, but she told him that God has a plan, and I
want to give you this gift; I need you by my side.”
On Aug. 23, 2019, Castro's parents underwent surgery on the same day she began college
at the University of the Incarnate Word.
Before they went into the operating room, Castro was allowed to say goodbye. She remembers
taking a photograph of her parents lying in neighboring hospital beds, holding hands
as their family prayed together.
“I told them I loved them and I was going to be here for them,” she said.
Both surgeries were successful, but recovery brought a new set of responsibilities.
Castro became her parents' primary caregiver while continuing her education and helping
care for her younger brother.
She was with her parents at their follow-up appointments, helped them navigate the
healthcare system and translated for them during medical visits. She balanced coursework
with the demands of a household recovering from two major surgeries.
Her father's successful transplant felt like a miracle to the family. But the experience
also showed Castro how much a patient's recovery depends on the people who stand beside
them — and how deeply a serious illness can affect an entire family.
It would also influence the research she pursued in college.
Motivated by her father's kidney disease, Castro joined a research laboratory focused
on diabetic kidney disease. Over approximately two and a half years, working with
Dr. Bridget Ford, she contributed to projects, presented findings at multiple conferences,
and earned recognition for her work. Her preliminary data helped contribute to the
laboratory securing a National Institutes of Health grant, and she represented the
University of the Incarnate Word at Texas Undergraduate Research Day at the State
Capitol in Austin. She was awarded the Sister Joseph Marie Armer Award for Outstanding
Biology Student in Research.
Her work strengthened her interest in research as a way to improve care for patients
whose lives are shaped by chronic illness.
Still, her family's challenges were not over.
The night they feared losing him
In 2021, Castro's father received another devastating diagnosis: stage 4 non-Hodgkin
lymphoma affecting his stomach and liver.
As the family tried to absorb the news, his condition suddenly deteriorated. Castro
noticed that he had become pale and sweaty before saying goodbye for the night. The
following morning, her mother called and told her to get to the hospital.
Her father was critically ill, vomiting continuously and unable to keep fluids down.
Physicians worked to stabilize him, but the situation grew increasingly grave.
The family was told that he might not survive.
“We all just started crying,” Castro said. “We went back into his room, and my mom
asked him, ‘They think you are going to die. Do you want to die?’"
Even while intubated, her father was able to respond. It wasn’t just a no; he was
shaking his finger no; he wanted to keep fighting. His determination gave his family
something to hold on to as they pleaded for the medical team to do everything possible.
“My mom was scared, I was crying and she was crying,” Castro said. “Our job was to wait outside and pray.”
Her father required extensive treatment, including numerous blood transfusions, before
physicians were able to stop the bleeding. He remained intubated for five days. His
recovery was uncertain and Castro watched closely as her mother advocated for him
when she feared something was wrong.
During those days, Castro witnessed the urgency of medical decision-making and the
importance of communication among members of the health care team. She also saw the
fear families experience when they struggle to understand what is happening to someone
they love.
She recognized how much depended on whether someone was willing to listen, ask questions
and speak up when a patient's condition changed.
Eventually, her father began to recover. He was able to wake up, eat again and return
home two days before his birthday on Sept. 12. Castro, navigating her way through
school, remained by her father’s side.
“After classes, I visited him and I cooked food for my parents to help them,” she
said. “Through the grace of God and the expertise of the medical staff, my father
was able to wake up and make a recovery. After completing my university classes, I
would visit my parents at the hospital and bring them home-cooked meals and their
favorite soups.”
He continued chemotherapy through the following year, completing treatment in Dec.
2022. Today, he is cancer-free.
For Castro, his recovery remains a source of profound gratitude.
During a research conference in Philadelphia that same time, Castro went to visit
a familiar place for tourists looking for strength, the Rocky Statue.
“Rocky is both my father and my favorite movie,” Castro said. “So, I went to visit
the statue and brought him a statue of Rocky that he keeps at his desk at home. I
told him that he’s Rocky because he is so strong and was able to finish his treatments.”
It is a small reminder of what he endured — and of the determination that carried
their family through another frightening chapter.
Turning experience into a calling
Castro's path to medical school included setbacks of its own. After graduating from
the University of the Incarnate Word with a biology degree, she took three gap years
to spend time with her family, prepare again for the MCAT and gain additional clinical
experience.
In 2024, she began working as a patient care technician at the hospital that had cared
for her parents when they had their kidney transplant. Over nearly two years, she
worked across multiple units, including intensive care and medical-surgical floors,
supporting patients from a wide range of backgrounds. Castro was so impactful at Methodist
Hospital Specialty and Transplant that she was awarded the Sunflower Award for her
work and compassionate care. The award was provided to honor patient care technicians
and non-nursing support staff who deliver extraordinary compassion and service. She
was nominated for the award by her patients.
“So many patients shared their stories about how they were before they got sick, and
it was very profound to hear and see what happened,” said Castro. “There are so many
layers to a person's care, but listening to patients is so important. It has provided
me with profound insight into the patient experience. As a future physician, I will
have a relentless commitment and love for my profession and patients.
“I want to be a transformative leader. “
As a patient care technician, Castro became an advocate for patients, helping answer
their questions, communicating concerns to the care team and noticing changes in their
conditions. She celebrated when patients were discharged and found meaning in the
connections she built with them.
“PCTs are often the first people patients interact with and the people who spend the
most time with them,” Castro said. “We are advocates. We help everything run smoother
and support the entire care team so patients can continue progressing toward recovery.”
Now at TCOM, Castro brings her academic preparation and research experience alongside
a perspective shaped by years of confronting illness, caregiving, and witnessing the
power of compassionate medicine.
Her goal is to pursue a career in pediatric medicine, inspired by the physician who
once helped her understand her own diagnosis and showed her how reassurance and clear
communication can change a family's experience of care.
She hopes to become a physician who combines medical excellence with empathy, advocacy
and a commitment to improving patients' lives.
For Castro, the motivation behind that goal is never far away.
“The hardships faced by my family and me have become a source of inner strength and
a driving force that will make me capable of facing great challenges, which will serve
me well throughout medical school and beyond,” she said. “Having experienced the healthcare
system so intimately has allowed me to gain unique insight and understanding into
the dynamics of the patient experience. It is one thing to hear about others suffering
from an illness, but when it is a personal experience, one truly understands the concerns
and needs of a patient.
Castro cannot change what happened to her or her family. But she can carry the lessons
of those experiences into every patient interaction, every clinical decision, and
every opportunity to serve.
One day, she hopes to be the physician sitting beside a frightened patient, explaining
a diagnosis, answering questions, and helping a family find its footing in an unfamiliar
world.
She knows what that moment feels like from the other side, and she knows how much it matters when someone chooses to stay, listen and care.