Former Marine diagnosed with brain tumor leans on OKC community for help

A former U.S. Marine is leaning on the Oklahoma City community for support after doctors diagnosed him with a brain tumor, his family told News 9 last week. 

Paul Ornelas, who served in the Marines for three years, struggled to see out of his left eye. 

“My depth perception was off,” he recalled. 

He sometimes slurred his words, lost his balance and had a hard time recalling from memory. 

“He’s been having bad headaches and bad migraines. He would get to the point where he’d cry, throw up, get chills and very pale,” his fiancée Mia Lopez shared. 

Ornelas went to the optometrist, who sent him to the emergency room. 

“They found a tumor in his pineal gland,” she explained. 

Along with worsening vision, Ornelas also deals with major neck and back pain. 

“Because he drives for the city of Edmond, he’s not able to drive the trucks for work and he had to take leave,” Lopez said. 

Unfortunately, Ornelas had not been at the job long enough to receive paid leave or FMLA. 

“I’ve been supporting the family for the past four years,” he started. “It’s a hard thing because I’m a workaholic. I like going at it and making sure that things get done and paid.” 

He said one of the hardest parts about the situation is not being able to provide for his family. 

Ornelas and Lopez have two kids under the age of two together. 

“We are just hoping for the best and trying to keep our faith stronger than ever,” Lopez stated. 

The two are now awaiting results from Ornelas’ biopsy to determine the best course of treatment moving forward. 

If you’d like to help the family cover the cost of their medical expenses, click here.