Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.
Babtunde Olatunji

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August 29, 2011, Los Angeles - On December 23, 2006 Dave Tuccaro Jr. was launched on an unexpected journey that would lead him to understand just what a gift life truly is. On that day at 10:00 PM he was taken to Kelowna General Hospital.

Later, on Christmas eve day, he was emergency airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital where he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia--a disease that became a five year odyssey requiring him to fight tooth and nail for his life.

It turned out is was more of a battle than Dave could have ever imagined.  Dave underwent eight hip biopsies, two rounds of intense chemotherapy, six rounds of full body radiation, an addiction to painkillers, an epidural (an injection into the spine), a bone marrow transplant, a disease called Graph versus Host (when cells from the transplanted tissue of a donor initiate an immunologic attack on the cells and tissue of the recipient), and another disease called Avascular Necrosis (deterioration of bone due to diminished blood supply).

This journey for survival would have been incredible if ended there. However, much more was to come.

His treatment required high dosages of Prednisone (a synthetic steroid similar to cortisone that is used as an anitallergic, immunosuppressive and anticancer drug) which resulted in Dave essentially having all of his major joints destroyed. To date he has had two of his hips and one shoulder joint replaced. In the near future he will need joint replacement surgery on his shoulder as well as his knees, ankles and elbows.

Despite the horrendous path behind him and the brightening one ahead of him, Dave maintains a true Aboriginal sense of humor about his misfortunes (he is from the Mikisew Cree First First Nation in northern Alberta). As a DJ passionate about music, he has given himself the moniker of DJ Bionic Dave. He has used his love of music to get him through his darkest times.

Dave now lives in Los Angeles and is grateful that he is still alive. He wanted to personally thank the anonymous donor who donated the bone marrow that saved his life. He inquired through the donation network to see if the donor would be interested in meeting him.

It turns out the donor is a thirty six year old man from the small town of Bhunde Germany. Four years ago, the only information that he had was that his stem cells were being sent to someone in Canada. He was delighted to hear from Dave. Amazingly he is flying to Los Angeles and on the afternoon of Thursday, September 1, 2011 where he and Dave will meet for the first time.

Dave Tuccaro Jr. is a cancer survivor with an "attitude of gratitude" and is sincerely thankful for the opportunity to say thank you to  the man who saved his life.

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For further information contact Dave Tuccaro Jr. at:

Phone (323) 572-4020

Email: tuck060@hotmail.com

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