It is with great sadness that we share with everyone the passing of our father, Jose "Cheo" M. Rivera He fought the good fight, and he was comfortable when we parted ways.
The night before his passing, we began saying our goodbyes, and came back to see him the next day. We spent the rest of his hours ensuring he was comfortable.
A few hours before he passed, we whispered in his ear, not knowing if he was listening, "What are you waiting for? You can go. You don't have to hold on anymore".
What was he waiting for?
For those who knew him even just a little, you wouldn't be surprised that he always wanted his body donated to science. Given the circumstances of his passing and the rarity of the infection that compromised his health after a successful round of chemotherapy, we were hopeful that his wish would become a reality. We began making arrangements during the afternoon.
As our family (including his only niece and a nephew) kept him company, the doctor came into his room with the good news: the pathology team accepted his body for research. She said that as a PhD and MD she knows how much this truly means for science, and genuinely thanked us and him for our generosity.
We told her not to thank us, but to thank our dad.
And at that moment, he took his last breath. That's when he went. That's what he was waiting for.
True to form, Daddy-o.
