BURNABY, B.C, Updated 5:21 p.m. EST January 15, 2001 --
A B.C. teen who attained fame in his quest to help find a cure for cancer died over the weekend.
Michael Cuccione died due to complications from chemotherapy and radiation therapy. His family says his lungs just gave out on him.
He'd been in hospital for several weeks and his family was at his bedside.
Although he only had 16 years, Michael did live a full life.
In his quest to help find a cure for cancer, he ended up rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous and became part of an American boy band, but he never lost sight of his main goal.
Michael struggled against cancer since he was nine-years-old. He beat the disease twice, before finally succumbing to it, but through his efforts he may still have the final victory.
After a bone-marrow transplant suspended the disease for a second time, Michael recorded a CD of songs to help raise money for the Michael Cuccione Foundation, money that would go towards funding his dream: to raise $500,000 to fund a permanent research position at the B.C. Children’s Hospital.
Michael always said he was lucky, and a lot of his dreams did have a way of coming true. He appeared in an episode of Baywatch after which he became friends with the show’s star, David Hasselhoff.
And Michael didn't stop there. He and his grandmother wrote a book. He met the prime minister and appeared on talk shows. He was even chosen as a member of an American boy band – a comedy group called 2ge+her that ended up doing an MTV movie, a TV show and opened seven concerts for Britney Spears.
But it wasn’t the fame that impressed Michael most. One of his biggest moments personally came two years ago, when he was blessed by Pope John Paul II.
Michael was a very special young man. He was a strong, happy person who helped a lot of people through hard times and he will be missed.
A prayer service will be held for Michael Wednesday night at 7 p.m. and the funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday morning. Both will be held at St. Helen’s Catholic Church at 3860 Triumph Street in Burnaby.
Michael’s family says the public is welcome at both.
They are also asking, that in lieu of flowers, mourners make a donation to the Michael Cuccione Foundation. The address is: Box 31081, 2929 St. John’s St., Port Moody, B.C. V3H 4T4.
