Help the Santiago Family Say Goodbye

I want to share with the world the wonderful man my Father was, and still is. He is more than just my champion of a Father, he is an uncontrollably loving husband, a selfless son, the protective brother that shielded his siblings, the comedic uncle, faithful friend and above all else the foundation that keeps our family together. Rafael always cared for others and put their feelings above his. He was strong, intelligent, and always thought outside the box.

Overall, my father was a fighter all throughout his life. He battled against life threatening bloodclots, strokes, spinal cord injuries, and much more. He tackled and faced head on the illnesses, disabilities, diseases and won. In July, my father was diagnosed with Stage II Lung Cancer. His first words out of his mouth were, "I'm going to beat it. I'm going to fight for you all." We all then banded together as a family to provide all the support he needed to conquer this sickness.

Unfortunately, Cancer doesn't fight fair. Within a short amount of days, the cancer had spread beyond his Lungs. It began to consume his Liver, his Bones and then Brain. Even till the day before his departure, he debated and advocated for Chemotherapy/Radiation to begin his battle. My Guardian Angel was called back to heaven to be with his Grandmother and loyal pup Princess at 12:42 PM August, 24th.

He spent his last moments peacefully at home with his loved ones. We got to say our final goodbyes as my mother held his right hand, and I held the other. The dark clouds from the morning began to lift and the Sunshine emerged from the windows and surfaced on his angelic face. He transitioned into an Angel.

Our family has suffered a tremendous loss, but heaven has recieved an Angel. My family kindly asks of you for those who are reading this, to please help the Santiago family if you are able. If you knew my father, he was always loving my beautiful mother, dancing Salsa, offering transportation to my friends, and being a Bad Ass.

Thank you to everyone for your support so we may lay my father to rest and celebrate his life together. Thank you to all the people who work in the medical field overall. Thank you to the nurses from the hospital and hospice care in making my Father's transition comfortable and peaceful. I will forever be grateful and thankful for the hard work you all do everyday.

Writing this was the second most painful experience of my life. Saying see you later to my dad is the first. Love you daddy,

Forever and Always.