A Brazilian man tragically lost three children to cancer in less than five years, all while he battled the disease himself.
Régis Feitosa, 52 - an economist - and his family received the devastating news in 2016 that they share a rare genetic disorder called Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which increases the risk of cancer, per the Daily Mail.
The disorder only affects five in 20,000 families across the world. It greatly increases the risk of several types of cancer such as breast cancer, bone cancer, and cancer that attacks the soft tissue, amongst others.
Régis lost his youngest daughter, Beatriz Feitosa, to the disease first. She was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in 2017 and underwent a bone marrow transplant at the age of nine. Unfortunately, the disease returned the following year and she died on June 24, 2018, aged just 10.
Pedro, the father's son, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, aged 17. With medical help, he overcame the disease four times before sadly passing away on November 30, 2020, aged 22.
The eldest daughter, Anna Carolina Feitosa, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia when she was just 12 years old in 2009. After three years of treatment, she overcame the disease and went on to become a doctor herself.
The cancer returned in 2021 in the form of a brain tumor and she tragically lost her life at the age of 25, on November 19, 2022.
Speaking to BBC Brazil, Régis said: "In four and half years, I lost all my children". He was diagnosed with the disease in 2009 and became concerned that his family's cancer was related.
After undergoing medical assessments, Régis was informed he had Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and that this increases his family's risk of developing the disease due to its hereditary nature.
In 2021, the father learned that he had non-Hodgkin lymphoma and is currently undergoing treatment.
He explains how his family wouldn't allow him to feel guilty about the disease. "My children said I was just as much a victim as they were," he said.
Régis maintains an admirable outlook on life, saying that he and his family lived intensely, with the "utmost joy".
He went on to share some profound words from his late son. "No one can measure the pain of the other," he said.
Per the Cleveland Clinic, there is no known prevention for Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
Our thoughts are with Régis, his family, and his friends.
