Alejandro Bernal Rincon was born in Colombia, South America. At the age of 9 he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma cancer in his left arm. He was treated with chemotherapy, which he managed to overcome after surgery where 6 inches of the bone in his arm was removed. Unfortunately, he developed a second cancer. This time it was acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). He began chemotherapy and underwent a bone marrow transplant with his father being his donor. Once again he beat this cancer with his great will to live, but the doctors did not give him much hope for life because it was his second cancer.
His father decided to bring him to the US for a different diagnosis and better medicine and care. After being in the US for a year, he suffered a third episode of cancer. This time in a testicle. He underwent chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and a cell transplant called CAR-T. During the treatment he was very optimisic. He was also victorious, eradicating the cancer from his body and with the cellular treatment that would prevent this episode from recurring. While battling this 3rd cancer he completed 7th and 8th grade at Waccamaw Middle School. He completed the fall semster as a freshman at Waccamaw High School. He was a boy full of desire to improve.
But due to so many chemotherapy and radiation treatments during the 3 cancers, he developed a new disease— pulmonary fibrosis. Since his diagnosis in December, the disease has taken over his lungs. Because of all the previous treatments, he was not a candidate for a lung transplant.
Currently, he is at Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital at MUSC in Charleston SC, giving his last fight against this disease. He is receiving end-of-life care.
His mind is not easy to bend. His desire to live does not fade, but his body is already giving in. He always found the good in the bad things
