When Uncle Jim and I first met, for the first time after my mom getting re-married, he looked at me and my stepfather and started to rap to “Gangster's Paradise.” At that moment, I knew that Uncle Jim would leave me with joyous memories. No matter what obstacles were put in his way, he was able to get through them with his sense of humor.

In August, Uncle Jim was diagnosed with Stage Four Pancreatic Cancer. The doctors gave him a prognosis of months to live, with the aid of aggressive chemotherapy. Unexpectedly, he was accepted into a clinical trial at the Wisconsin College of Medicine. After his first session of chemotherapy, Uncle Jim became ill. His eyes sank to the back of his skull, he was losing his hair, and his hands were so swollen, that they looked like balloons waiting to pop. It was devastating to see a once loving and outgoing man become so frail in a matter of days. Even after vigorous chemotherapy, he continued to rap his favorite songs to his family and nurses.

Uncle Jim’s illness impacted me in ways that have helped me look at my life through totally different point of view. His illness not only taught me to embrace the obstacles I go through, but go through those obstacles with a strong and positive attitude.