In Memoriam

Ralph was diagnosed with stage 4 synovial sarcoma in the right hip with mets to the bilateral lungs in 2018 at the young age of 34. He had been complaining of hip pain for a few years prior to diagnosis, however was always assured it was due to a prior injury (femur fracture from car accident) and nothing to worry about. It took a spontaneous pathological fracture to formally diagnose this rare, aggressive cancer. We were lucky enough to live close to a high volume cancer center with a sarcoma department. Treatment started immediately and consisted of doxorubicin and olotatumab, which only stabilized the tumors. He then had a hip replacement/tumor resection and went back on chemotherapy. After 6 months and no true shrinkage, our first doctor gave us “the talk” that there is probably not a good treatment for him.  We transferred treatment to MD Anderson under the care of Dr. Araujo. For the next 4 years, we traveled back and forth from Tampa, FL to Houston, TX. In those 4 years, Ralph was on ifosfamide, Votrient, trebactadin, ifosfamide for a second time, darcarbazine, doxorubicin for a second time. He also underwent lung cryoablation and microwave ablation. Ifosfamide was always our go to because it is the only drug that actually shrank tumors, although short lived because once off, they would always grow again. In his last 6 months, he was put on the Foghorn trial, which after only a couple months showed no result and he was taken off. 

While cancer was a huge part of Ralph’s life, he never let it define him or limit him in any way. He continued to work hard and live out all of his dreams and aspirations. Even after this terrible diagnosis, he was able to have a beautiful wedding, travel the world (Bora Bora, Paris, Amsterdam, Lebanon, Jamaica, and countless other places) and even became a father 3 months before passing. Ralph never gave up in his fight for life and is a true inspiration to many.