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May 29, 2008 12:58 pm US/Eastern
A Child's Last Living Days End In Miami
Home Sold, Savings Exhausted So Their Son Could Die At Peace
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
A Venezuelan couple spent their life savings to bring their child to South Florida to live a few comfortable months before dying from cancer. Despite treatment, doctors said the 3 year old had a few months to live. Ricardo Echenique died on Thursday.
On his second birthday, doctors in Venezuela diagnosed Ricardo Echenique with hepatoblastoma--liver cancer. A year after, chemotherapy took all of his hair. His condition got worse, and Venezuelan doctors gave up hope.
"They told us to give him the best quality of life and to enjoy as much as he can because there was nothing else they could do for my son," said Carlos Echenique.
So his parents sold their home and used up all their savings to bring Ricardo to South Florida.
He visited Disney World, saw Mickey Mouse and smiled through the throbbing pain in his little chest. His mother and father held out hope that doctors would find a miracle.
"We went from hospital to hospital with our son's case," said Echenique.
University of Miami doctors tried again with the chemo--again giving his parents the same grim diagnosis. The cancer continued to grow agressively and doctors believed Ricardo had three to six months left to live.
"Emotionally I'm destroyed. It's difficult to explain; it's a lot of things. I believe in God and God knows why this is happening and there is a purpose. He's gonna give me the strength to continue on but this is rough."
Ricardo's family has been staying at the Ronald McDonald house as doctors tried to manage his pain.
The Echeniques' savings had run out while giving their son some few precious last moments.
There will be a mass Thursday at 8pm at Comunidad Cristiana La Roca Firme, located at 6280 West 21st Street in Hialeah.
If you can help them, please call our CBS4 Neighbors4Neighbors Family Fund at 305-597-4404.
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