SAN ANGELO, Texas — San Angelo native and Lake View High School graduate DJ Anchondo had a fairly "normal" childhood.
A West Texas local, he received his undergraduate degree from Angelo State University in 2012 and began dating his now-wife Luz'Ce soon thereafter.
It wasn't until spring of that same year when DJ, in his early 20s, began noticing some unfamiliar physical symptoms.
"So my senior year of college, my spring semester, I noticed there were some things going on with my body," DJ said. "Constant sweating, sleeping a ton..."
DJ also noticed a large lump on his body, making him more concerned than ever.
After becoming aware of these changes, DJ called his mother, who came home and made the ultimate decision for her son to get checked out at urgent care.
"Probably [within] about a month or so, I had my diagnosis of testicular cancer," DJ said.
Receiving such serious news at a young age was difficult for DJ. When he felt his life was just beginning, it was simultaneously taking an unprecedented turn.
During this time period, DJ went through three rounds of chemotherapy as well as retroperitoneal lymph node dissection surgery, RPLND.
After coming out of surgery, DJ was met with yet another challenge: learning he wouldn't be able to naturally have children.
"The moment that they told me that there was a possibility I would lose the ability to have kids, all of a sudden it became this huge concern to me, like, 'What if I do want kids one day?,'" he said.
Prior to undergoing surgery, DJ made the decision to freeze his sperm. Although he wasn't thinking much about children at the time, the option for his partner to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization was now a possibility.
After a long nine-month journey, DJ was officially declared cancer-free.
Five years ago in 2018, DJ and Luz'Ce were officially married. In 2022, they began their IVF journey in an attempt to start their family together.
In 2022, Luz'Ce began her first round of stimulation medication and egg retrieval, resulting in the fertilization of only two eggs. While taking the medication, she also developed a polyp and was diagnosed with chronic endometritis, which is inflammation of the uterus.
As a result, Luz'Ce was placed on antibiotics and the costs of IVF began to add up.
"During that whole time period where I was taking antibiotics and all, that's when we really decided to open up to the public," she said.
The couple started sharing their journey on social media, documenting the highs and lows of stimulation, egg retrieval and all the process entails. They were able to raise funds using thegiftofparenthood.org and through the help of the community by selling handmade crosses.
At the start of 2023, the pair began yet another round of stimulation.
"We did an egg retrieval in March, had 23 eggs this time which is a great blessing," Luz'Ce said.
Eventually, they had 10 embryos all together. On April 26, Luz'Ce was finally able to get pregnant. Although it was scary to share their story at first, the couple is now able to help others on a similar path to pregnancy.
"In the time of opening up, doing our Facebook updates and all, we've been able to provide education to whoever is listening, whoever wants to listen," Luz'Ce said. "And also provide hope for not just helping children but just the way God works for us, he can work for others, too."
Not only can they share their IVF journey but DJ has also been able to help those who are concerned about testicular cancer.
Through his struggles, he wants to set a reminder: it's okay to ask for help.
"Help is a good thing and thankfully we live in a community like San Angelo where there is a lot of help out there, you know, not just from friends and family, we've had plenty of strangers message us, you know, randomly, in support of us and that meant a lot to us, too."
The couple will continue to update their story at facebook.com/djanchondo12 and facebook.com/luzce.baca.