The Ceccarelli-Rosenberg Foundation – a purpose born out of love and loss. It all began when my husband was diagnosed with AML, merely two months after our wedding on May 1st, 2021. July 27, 2021, marked the start of an unimaginable journey, a true nightmare, for both of us. We fought tirelessly for life, love, our future, and the dreams we cherished. The cancer proved relentless, even defying three powerful chemo treatments. Undeterred, we stood united, facing each challenge as one. Despite losing 65 lbs. in just four months, my husband’s determination remained unyielding. We clung to HOPE, even when the doctors at AdventHealth offered no further options. This remarkable man inspired me not to give up.

During the next few months at Moffitt Cancer Center, the battle intensified. Preparing for a medical trial, he had to endure two more chemo treatments, but the cancer showed no mercy. Three solidified tumors in his neck and armpit rapidly grew to the size of golf balls within a week. Daily challenges included fevers, urgent trips to the ER, and two days in the ICU due to sepsis. Andrea Starnes basically saved his life that day. She is the nurse in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at AdventHealth.

Words cannot express the pain and desperation we felt. In early December, Moffitt Cancer Center granted him a brief respite from chemo, but even on the drive home, the fever returned, leading us back to AdventHealth’s ER in downtown Orlando. His cancer allowed no breaks.

On Thursday, December 9th, I entered his hospital room to find a profound sadness in his eyes. His only words were, “I called my daughter, and asked her to come, I need to talk to both of you.” That day, he made the heartbreaking decision to start Hospice. I pleaded, clinging to HOPE, but the pain that began in July proved insurmountable. Exhausted and weighing only 128 lbs., he believed his body could not endure another chemo treatment. I couldn’t fathom a future without him.