My brother Cesar Francisco Rodriguez was not only my older brother, but one of my best friends. Everyone who met him was immediately drawn to his sense of humor and caring personality. Cesar was a true role model to me - someone I respected, loved, and aspired to model my own life on as I grew up. Cesar was a superhero to me; I wanted to be exactly like him, mimic his every move, and one day feel the satisfaction of being even half the man he was.
Cesar was 16 years older than I was, so when I was a toddler he was away from home at college. For much of my younger years, whenever Cesar was coming home to visit I would be filled with happiness, joy, and excitement. I lived for those visits and he never disappointed - we had a ton of fun whenever he came home. I never wanted those visits to end.
Cesar always gave the best advice and was always there for me when I needed him. He would always pick up my call and would call me to chat in the middle of the day, even if it was just a quick hello. He not only did this with me, but with everyone in our family and his circle of friends. His heart was gigantic and his love for others knew no bounds!
When Cesar was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer in 2019, my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. According to the American Cancer Society, Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer only has a relative 5-year survival rate of about 14%. Despite the discouraging statistics, Cesar fought this disease and he fought it hard. Even when he was extremely sick from treatment and the illness, he was smiling and telling jokes. He even made sure to check in with family to see how they were doing. And that illustrates exactly who Cesar was. His heart was so big that even though he was suffering physically and mentally, he would check in with our large family to ensure we were doing well.
I am normally not one to talk about loss or my emotions openly. There are days I don’t know what to think, say, or feel about his passing last month. But I have learned in the most vivid way that the loss of any family member is devastating, heart breaking, and life changing. Cesar was loved by his parents and three siblings, his friends and colleagues, and most importantly by his wife and two wonderful children. Cesar had so much love to give and projected that incredible reserve onto everyone in his life.
All this love inspired me to help bring awareness in the fight against Colorectal Cancer. There are so many other families and friends fighting against this horrendous disease and I came to understand that anything we can do to help makes a tremendous impact.
This is why I started this Go Fund Me in Cesar’s name. All proceeds will go to the charity Fight Colorectal Cancer (fightcolorectalcancer.org). Among the many reasons I chose this organization was their transparency. The vast majority of donations are invested directly to patient support, advocacy, and research. I also found while researching potential recipients that Cesar himself had followed the organization’s social platforms before his passing.
My older brother would have wanted nothing more than for his siblings to do everything possible to help others who played the same role that he did in the lives of his family and friends – that of a role model, superhero, and someone who would want to extend his love to other individuals and families in the same situation through which he so bravely fought.
Your family will always remember and love you, Cesar!
