From Surviving a Brain Tumor to Studying Medicine

Luz Esmeralda’s story of faith and perseverance inspires her family and others who dream of serving God through health.

September 4, 2025 | Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico | Laura Marrero, Montemorelos University and IAD News Staff

At 18, Luz Esmeralda de León arrived at Montemorelos University (UM)—an Adventist-operated university in northern Mexico—determined to study medicine and serve God through healthcare. Behind her smile and resolve lies a journey marked by miracles, hardship, and a faith that moved her entire family to sacrifice everything in support of her dream.

That determination traces back to when, at 13, Luz was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Doctors gave no hope. After surgery, she remained unconscious for 10 days, and when she finally woke up, she could barely move. “They told me she would never walk or speak again,” recalls her mother, Lucinda González. “But as a family we placed ourselves in God’s hands. We prayed and fasted, asking for strength and for His will to be done.”

The process was slow and painful, but against all odds, Luz began taking her first steps three months later. She went through chemotherapy and radiation. Specialists said she would depend on a valve for life. But one day doctors discovered the valve had dried out completely and was no longer necessary. “The neurosurgeon told me, ‘I came across a surprise—your daughter is fine,’” Lucinda recalls with emotion. For the family, there was no doubt that God had worked a miracle.

The experience gave Luz’s life new direction. She drew closer to God and found a calling in science and healthcare.

She asked her parents to transfer her to an Adventist school, even though this meant a major effort for her and her sisters. They had to leave their ranch at 4:00 a.m., walk to catch transportation, get to class on time, and return only at nightfall.

Amid that demanding routine, Luz discovered a special love for chemistry. Combined with her hospital experience, this led her to decide to become a doctor. Her goal now is to become a neurosurgeon to help others facing what she once endured.

Achieving that dream, however, would not be easy. For her humble, hardworking family in Chiapas, it meant great sacrifice. “We are not professionals—my husband is a farmer and I am a homemaker,” her mother explains. “When she told me she wanted to study at Montemorelos University, I answered, ‘Daughter, if we have come this far with faith, we will also get there.’”

With nothing more than bus fare and their trust in God, Lucinda set out for Nuevo León with Luz and her two younger daughters, including a baby barely one year old. They arrived at UM without knowing anyone, but with the certainty that the same God who had sustained them during illness would open doors in this new stage. Her husband and other daughter plan to join them soon to continue supporting Luz in her education.

Today, as a first-year medical student, Luz looks ahead with hope: “I am grateful to my parents, as they have left everything to support me. I know it is not easy, but God is in control. I want to graduate as a doctor, serve others, and share the message of faith. I always say: if God begins to work, He never leaves anything unfinished—He completes it.”

Luz and her family know they will still face challenges, but they hold fast to the same God who worked a miracle in her life. Her story is only beginning, yet it already stands as a testimony that inspires others to believe faith can turn dreams into reality.

Lisandra Vicente and Brenda Cerón contributed to this article.