My name is Ella, and my stepdad Timothy Cutalo has been recently diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, which is a type of cancer, and it has unfortunately rapidly spread throughout his body. Timmy was nearly paralyzed by tumors from the neck down, leaving him no choice but to undergo a seven hour spinal surgery immediately. They were able to use anchors and screws to stabilize it. Many tumors were found throughout. He has been fighting this horrible level of pain for a long time now, without us or himself even being aware of what it was until now. Due to the type of cancer he has, it is incurable, but treatable. He has to undergo various treatments, such as antibody/chemotherapy but it is not possible to fully get rid of them.

Timmy has raised me, and watched me grow up since I was in middle school. He has helped me through the good and bad, and raised me to be who I am today. It has been so tough to see him suffering through this, considering that whenever I didn't feel good, he was the first person to help me feel better again. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. I am currently a Pre-Medical student at Hofstra University, and I am proud to say that he has supported me every step of the way, and does anything to make it possible for me to achieve my dreams. He always made it so that my family and I never had to worry, therefore, I would like to do the same for him.