Gil was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in August 2019 and has been unable to work due to the intensity of treatments. He is receiving disability but that is only a fraction of what he made working. He has insurance, but it does not cover everything. Between co-pays, prescriptions, gas traveling back & forth to UCSF for appointments and scans, it has hit his family hard financially and emotionally.

Having cancer during Covid has been especially hard. He underwent 12 weeks of chemo and radiation that finished in December 2019, and then had surgery scheduled and cancelled twice due to the pandemic. After finding blood clots in his leg and lung he had to undergo procedures before his surgery could finally take place at the end of April 2019. The cancer was successfully removed from his esophagus, but more was found in his lymph nodes. He spent 7 days in the hospital, alone, due to Covid and is currently undergoing several more weeks of chemo. Gil is fighting for his life and credits the support of his family and friends for getting him through this extremely difficult time.

He is married (his wife Amy is a cancer survivor) and has 2 kids, Tyler age 25 and Ashlain age 23. The family also includes their beloved German Shepherd, Rocky Balboa Valencia, who even has his own Facebook page. Gil graduated from Hiram Johnson High School in Sacramento and was part owner/bartender for 10 years at Mushroom Lounge in Rosemont. He has also bartended at Firedance and has lived in Rosemont his entire life.

Gil and his family enjoy attending car shows and own a ‘67 Camaro, which he purchased in ‘85 and restored. His son is attending CSUS and his daughter attended college in Santa Barbara at SBCC and is currently working in Sacramento. Both kids played several sports and attended Capital Christian in Sacramento.