Inspirational Stories

Luigi was diagnosed with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) during his junior year of high school, at the age of 16. During that time, Luigi was preparing for college applications and getting ready to play in his varsity basketball and varsity volleyball season. But all of that came to a halt with his diagnosis. While undergoing multiple rounds of dose-adjusted chemotherapy, Luigi continued to push himself and decided to get home schooling. He also continued to support his basketball team in the sidelines as much as he could. Unfortunately, after 4 rounds of chemotherapy, Luigi was afflicted with severe side effects of chemotherapy and began to feel weak. He was very deconditioned and struggled to even get out of his bed. Additionally, he also experienced peripheral neuropathy, described as severe, tingling nerve pain, in his fingertips. But he kept on fighting. In March of 2014, he finally beat his cancer. But he realized that the fight isn’t over. Although he doesn’t have cancer anymore, he was still deconditioned and unable to do the things he loved such as basketball and volleyball. It wasn’t until he started working with occupational therapy and physical therapy that he began to regain his strength, and more importantly, his sense of self. The following year, in his senior year of high school, Luigi became the team captain for both his varsity basketball and volleyball team. He even received the Most Valuable Player award from his volleyball team and the Coaches’ Award from his basketball team. Inspired by his experience with beating cancer, Luigi decided to pursue a degree in Human Biology at the University of Southern California and is currently attending the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. One of his favorite memories of medical school so far was rotating with the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation team at the same hospital that he received his treatment at and visiting the same physical therapy and occupational therapy units that he spent time in when he was a patient. Now, Luigi is pursuing a career in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with dreams of helping others who undergo life changing injuries or illnesses live life to the fullest regardless of what limitations their conditions may have imposed upon them!