Felix was diagnosed with Biphasic Pleural Mesothelioma on December 20, 2017 at 28 years old. He chose to learn the results of the pathology testing that gave him his diagnosis by himself. He gave no indication about what he was about to tell me prior to me getting to the hospital, or even as he told me. He remained calm and centered. I believe his exact words were that he didn't have the "most amazing news." He never cried.
He remained hopeful and grateful throughout his treatment, thanking doctors and nurses no matter what painful or invasive treatment they had just inflicted on him. Over the course of a year he had 5 surgeries, 5 weeks of radiation, 6 cycles of chemotherapy, 6 months of weekly clinical trial drug injections, and a total of 8 weeks stay in 4 different hospitals.
He never let on that he was scared even when he was diagnosed with Stage III and, a month later, Stage IV terminal cancer. He never expressed how badly he felt no matter how sick, uncomfortable, embarrassed, or in pain he was. He never looked as sick as he was even as he was rushed to the hospital by ambulance or wheeled into the ICU for the last time.
He fought until the very end and he always thought he could beat it. He fought harder when he found out that his birthday was Mesothelioma Awareness Day. We thought it meant that he was going to be the one to find a cure. Maybe he still will be; he was proud of contributing in many ways to Mesothelioma research. I will continue this fight on his behalf.
No Wonder I is the song that Felix was listening to on a continuous loop the day he got his diagnosis at New York Presbyterian Hospital in NYC that had him so calm and reflective. As you listen to it now, think of all that embodied Felix.
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