Angel

Angel

His type of cancer has no cure.

Our son Angel Damian Martinez was diagnosed October of 2017. He had just turned 8. That summer was the best summer ever for him. We were at the lake every weekend, he celebrated his birthday 9/11. Spent every day that summer in the water. He absolutely loved being in the water. It didn't matter if it was the bath tub, hot tub, pool, splash pad. If it had water, he was happy. The last few weeks in October he started complaining about back pain and he had developed a small bump on his foot.

October 27, we admitted him to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. Angel was diagnosed with Stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma. A bone and tissue cancer. The cancer had already eaten away at his spine and caused fractures. He had tumors in his lower abdomen, spine, right foot, upper arms and throughout his body in his muscles. He was given a 15% chance of survival and less than a year. We were given a choice of letting the cancer take it's course or fight it, even after knowing that if he did go into remission the cancer would come back in less than 5 years and much more stronger than the first time. His type of cancer has no cure.

We had faith and Angel had faith that he would beat it. He started his fight with chemo and radiation. Angel had 1 ½ years of both of these. 8 different types of chemo. A total of 28 weeks of radiation. He would be admitted for a week every month to do 24 hours of chemo. He had physical therapy to learn how to walk again.

My warrior had no fear and never complained and never said he wanted to give up. On the contrary, he would tell us that he would pull thru and beat it. He went into remission the end of December of 2018. He relapsed 3 weeks later. We gave him a choice to continue or keep fighting. He chose to fight. He told us that he had come this far and that he would beat it again. He started chemo, immunotherapy and radiation. He did all this up until 4 days before he passed. Never complained, never said he would stop. He fought till the end. Strong and without fear.

He passed away surrounded by all that loved him dearly. Mom, dad, brother and sister next to his side – July 8, 2019.

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