Community rallies after tragedy strikes Tulare family

It was supposed to be a time of celebration. A time of picking out baby clothes, little shoes, and children’s books. It wasn’t supposed to also be a time of mourning.

Ana Pena Calderon has much to celebrate. At the age of 38 she and her husband Jiame had already been blessed with five children, Tito (22), Marissa (20), Damian (18), Robert (11), and Manuel (14 months) , and unexpectedly learned that a sixth little bundle of joy was on the way.

On October 13, 2015, her son Matthew entered the world at Tulare Regional Medical Center, but one fateful day later the Calderon family would face a tragedy that would change their household forever.

“I had her two youngest boys with me in the morning and when I took the boys over to see her she was in excellent health,” Jamie Valencia, Ana’s best friend, said. “She was more than in perfect health. She was over the moon.”

Ana is known for her outgoing demeanor and giving spirit. As a member of several social media groups where families ask for assistance, Ana made countless donations.

“If Ana saw she could help, she was on top of it,” Valencia said. “Even when she was far along in her pregnancy, she would deliver.”

Even in spite of having needs of her own.

Her husband Jiame owns his own landscaping business Valley Lawn Care, but in the face of the historic California drought, new clients were drying up as well.

To make ends meet he took a job with Haagen-Dazs while he continued to volunteer on the side as a coach with with the AYSO soccer program.

“Our families pretty much adopted each other,” Valencia said. “We even put each other on our emergency cards.”

Although, they always hoped they would never have to.

Only one day after giving birth to Matthew, Ana was submitted to the hospital for a common medical procedure known as a tubal ligation, a permanent method of sterilization and birth control.

Although the procedure is routinely performed, it is still considered major surgery that requires the patient to undergo anesthesia.

“Something went wrong,” Valencia said.

The odds of something going wrong are rare. The mortality risk associated with the procedure is relatively low, with the rate for industrialized nations remaining at 4 per 100,000 tubal ligations, according to studies.

In this instance, it appeared to have taken a fateful turn for the worse.

“She never woke up.” Valencia said. “She had internal bleeding.”

After failing to regain consciousness Ana Calderon was airlifted to a hospital in San Francisco where doctors provided a grim prognosis: Ana had extensive brain damage and her organs were failing.

Prayers were immediately lifted up by her family and friends asking that the young mother could continue to hang on.

“Faith meant everything to her,” Valencia said. “Her family, her parents, her two sisters, they were her world.”

Sadly, on Thursday, Oct. 22nd, Ana Calderon’s fight to stay alive came to an end.

“It’s shocking. It’s very unreal,” Valencia said. “It should have been the happiest time of their lives.”

When Brad and Susie Sethton of the Wayside Church of the Nazarene heard of the extreme emotional and financial toll taken by the Calderon family, they decided it was time to reflect the same giving spirit Ana shared in her life by organizing a benefit on their behalf.

The community is invited 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, the Wayside Church of the Nazarene, 1929 E. Bardsley Ave. in Tulare for a spaghetti dinner. Plates are only $10 per person or a donation of choice.

“At this point the family can use any help they can get,” Valencia said. “Ana was always well-prepared, but they grow old so fast. Any donations or items of clothing will help.”

Regardless of the tragedy, the time remains one of celebration in honoring the life of a mother, friend, and a pillar of the community.

Even in her passing Ana continues to give as an organ donor, and was able to better or even save the lives of eight other people through organ donation.

“It’s amazing how many people have come together,” Valencia said. “It’s a testament to who Ana was as a person.”

How to help: A spaghetti dinner to benefit the Calderon family is being held 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, the Wayside Church of the Nazarene, 1929 E. Bardsley Ave in Tulare. Plates are only $10 per person or a donation of choice. Those who cannot attend can mail donations to Jiame Calderon, P.O. Box 2325, Tulare, CA 93274.