BY DC CUEVA
■ @DC408Dxtr @ TW / IG / YT
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| IG @AnthonyMartin9 |
On MTV's Are You The One? Season 6 last year, viewers met Anthony Martin, that suave guy from Inglewood, CA who loves the game he and others of Mexican descent refer to as fútbol -- in fact, this Chivas supporter is in the midst of a 6-game goal streak in his local league. MTV's bio wrote of him that he was living "in two worlds-in-one," and that he's "the party boy who's out all night." Those who watched him in New Orleans saw him be one of the ladies' men that year, and who had to endure getting splashed in his face by Geles at the Mardi Gras house party. But it was what happened after that stunning late comeback to win $1 million that opened everyone's eyes: at the reunion, it was revealed that had begun dating Shannon Duffy from Season 5, which caused friction with some in his cast.
But that's not why we are featuring him in this post... it's for a much different reason: before he came down to the Bayou to join twenty-one others lost in love in NOLA, Anthony was a successful elementary school teacher. But the people he worked with every day were anything but ordinary: working with kids with special needs, and special care and consideration is always given to them more than any other student in their school. The definition of special needs children includes those who have delays in speech, language or cognition; social or emotional disorders, learning differences & disabilities, and those with Autism, Muscular Dystrophy, down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy or any type of behavioral or sensory disorder.
Over the Easter holiday weekend, Anthony got to spend some quality time with of those who fits the category of someone who is extraordinary: Fellow Inglewood resident Julian Roque, nicknamed "Superhero Julian," was born in 2011. But at age 2, he was diagnosed with brain cancer, and his family doctors were told that the tumor detected in his brain stem was so big that it was deemed "surgically impossible to remove" and was given a prognosis of only a few months to live. Almost immediately, the biggest battle Julian had in his short life began against cancer, and he has continued to press on in persevering and enduring the biggest battle of his life. And as his family wrote on their crowd-funding site, "And he did it in a way that it can only be described as something that could only be been done by a superhero with supernatural powers."
Superhero Julian has went through all of the necessary chemotherapy for radiation treatment, as well as two brain surgeries. But, an October visit revealed that his cancer had progressed from a low grade tumor to one that is at grade 4, which meant that the fight has gotten even stronger in the months since, as his family has continued hope that his tumor would stop growing and for his health to not worsen. For someone who has been that free spirit all of his life, the feeling that he would not be going through his easy way of living his life to the fullest has been deep. And his family added, "There is a pain deep in our hearts that never goes away. We can't bear the thought of living life without our Superhero."
The GoFundMe effort launched by his father Rudy in October has been asking for the public's help to aid with paying the medical expenses that can put a huge burden on any family with a young child facing the prospect of their life ending much too soon. But so far it currently stands at over $27,000, well short of the $250,000 goal the family has in mind but more will be needed as the battle rages on... a battle that several times has been tough and tense for Julian's family. A recent GFM update revealed that he was sent to the ER two time for seizures and shortness of breath, and his family has turned their attention to bringing their son to Monterrey, Mexico where children with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG, go to for help. And at the same time, Julian and his family were featured on Univision 34 in L.A. to bring their story to the Southland's large Hispanic community.
On the Monday following Easter, Anthony met Julian and understood that the Superhero was also a fellow soccer fan and player and gave him a gift he will never forget, all as he continues to fight the good fight. He wrote in his Instagram caption:
"Today I had the honor to meet @superherojulian and his amazing family. Julian was diagnosed with brain cancer at the tender age of 2. The tumor was found on his brain stem which is surgically impossible to remove. When Julian was only given months to live, his strength, power, and faith did not allow that to happen and is continuing to fight for his life 4 years later. I then realized that Julian began playing soccer at the age of 4 in a league named AYSO and that's exactly where I began my soccer journey at the exact same age. So today, I gave Julian my first ever trophy that I won when I was 4 and a championship medal because Julian IS a champion! So let's help this superhero get better and donate (link is in my bio). WE LOVE YOU JULIAN ❤️ keep fighting!!!!!"
- INSTAGRAM @AnthonyMartin9
Donations are still being accepted on the family's Fight with Superhero Julian page on Go Fund Me at GoFundMe.com, and visit their dedicated Facebook page, Prayers for Superhero Julian.
- I AM DC
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