Few things are more shocking than hearing, “You have cancer.” Although hearing those words at any age is difficult, hearing them at 48—and just 30 days after getting married—is inconceivable. But if you think a cancer diagnosis and an even harsher prognosis of five years would shatter even the most high-spirited individual, you haven’t met Aaron Perez. This Mason, OH resident and Christ Hospital patient continues to dazzle the oncology team with his extraordinary resolve.

“From the day I met him, even with his diagnosis, he was super focused, very positive, and had the mentality that you go forward each day, face what is happening, and take what comes at you,” recalled Christopher Freese, MD, Christ Hospital radiation oncologist. Freese, who attributes his patient’s optimistic outlook to having an athletic background, says it’s been a rough road. “Aaron tolerated so much so quickly, and he’s been a champ all the way through. It’s been pretty remarkable.”

Perez and his wife, Chasity, were married in July 2021, just one month prior to his cancer diagnosis and the start of treatment at The Christ Hospital. Before that diagnosis, Aaron sought help from another Cincinnati-based healthcare facility for severe vomiting and trouble breathing. Those physicians tested him for COVID-19, ordered a chest X-ray, and later sent him home, declaring him healthy.

“Within a couple of hours, I was out of there, but they missed it—I actually had a kidney tumor at that point.”

He ultimately arrived at The Christ Hospital for a second opinion and a starkly different experience. “By that time, I could barely walk and had difficulty standing,” said Perez. After ordering a CT scan, the Christ Hospital ER doctor suspected a brain tumor and, subsequently, found a spot on the scan “the width of a paperclip.”

He proceeded to send his patient for more tests, which eventually confirmed the cancer that started in his kidney had progressed to his brain.

Since then, through every surgery and treatment that followed, Perez has experienced ups and downs but overall, he remains hopeful and committed to battling cancer, his spirit buoyed by Chasity and a close-knit wrestling community that he's been part of for decades. The same competitive fire he had as a former wrestler, coach, and avid runner is now fueling his cancer fight and is the foundation of his “win the day” motto.

“I think my wrestling background has always been at the forefront of my life’s attitude,” he said. “It’s always pushed me to let my body just do what it does, like, don’t think yourself out of doing something, don’t let your mind tell you, ‘No!’—just take the action.”

Perez has stage IV renal cell carcinoma, which has affected his brain and multiple organ systems and is now in his bloodstream. As Freese explained, this type of cancer most often strikes older adults, and only a fraction of those cases become metastatic. Perez may be an outlier in terms of his age and the severity of his illness, but as Freese pointed out, The Christ Hospital offers cutting-edge therapies that show promise for extending life in patients with advanced disease.

Between enduring multiple surgeries to remove the kidney and brain tumors, Perez took the time to visit the Christ Hospital emergency department to express his appreciation.

“I wanted to thank the doctor and the staff for being as diligent as they were,” he said, “because a couple months prior to that, another hospital got me in and out and said, ‘You’re fine.’”

Chasity is also grateful to the Christ Hospital caregivers, not only for their persistence in treating her husband but also for coordinating a dream vacation—in essence, their long-awaited honeymoon. Planning to delay the honeymoon after Perez's diagnosis, Chasity remembers, “My mom said, ‘Well, I guess you’re not going to have a honeymoon.’ And Aaron said, ‘Oh yes, we’re definitely going to have a honeymoon.’ And you know, his confidence kind of stuck with me. But a few months into the cancer, I began to doubt it again—because at this point, who knows what is going to happen financially, who knows what will happen medically.”

Not only did their honeymoon happen, but it was funded by Dream Foundation, an organization that grants wishes to adults with terminal illnesses. The Christ Hospital staff joined forces with Chasity and Amanda Fiorito—former Christ Hospital nurse and oncology nurse practitioner for biotech leader Genentech—to request a long weekend at St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia, a relaxing spot where the couple could escape cancer and its stresses in a place that has long held special meaning.

While Chasity was involved in planning the trip, the team coordinated the surprise for Perez—and further shocked him by presenting the dream package at a celebration featuring mascots from some of his favorite Cincinnati sports teams. When Fiorito handed him vouchers for the flight, she also gave the couple some extra funds for their vacation.

“For cancer patients, we see how our products can help, but we also know that cancer patients have a financial burden, and by partnering with the hospital, we were able to offer some relief to Aaron and Chasity. Giving them some happiness is the goal.”

Although others admire Perez for his spirit, he admits to having bad days and needing encouragement from Chasity, who keeps negativity at bay and prompts him to remember that no matter his prognosis, he still has a life to live.

“We had a conversation a while back, and I told her, ‘Ever since I started competing at a young age, I've always needed a push to keep going because that’s how you accomplish what you want to accomplish,’” he said. “Sometimes with this situation it’s easy to say no. Chasity is the one who gets me to do.”

“I try to keep him grounded,” added Chasity, who left a part-time position for full-time work to support her husband, who is currently at home on disability. “I try to encourage him the best that I can and to remind him that he’s not alone. We’re going through this together.”

As much as Perez counts on his at-home support system, he’s quick to praise his care team at The Christ Hospital, where he and his wife have felt like members of an empathetic family.

“They’re not just doctors, you know, they’re people. They care about us,” said Chasity of physicians like Dr. Freese and Dr. Gina Chung, Perez’s medical oncologist. “They’re compassionate,” Perez chimed in. “We have a lot of trust in The Christ Hospital. With everything that we’ve been through, and how they presented everything to us, it basically feels like they take hold of your hand and walk you through everything. And they don’t let go of your hand throughout the entire process.”

Although Perez’s cancer is not curable, aided by newer therapies and treatments, there can be long-term survival. “There have been newer drugs—immune therapy medications—which really leverage the body’s ability to help fight cancer and rev up the immune system to help attack the disease,” said Dr. Freese.

“These drugs really changed a lot of what we do and how we treat malignancy, including renal cell. Patients are having better outcomes, improved survival, and longer disease control.”

Perez and his family may have a difficult and uncertain road ahead, but they feel fortunate to have The Christ Hospital by their side. “Find an oncology team or a hospital team that you feel extremely at home with, because that’s been huge for us,” Chasity said, offering words of advice for anyone who is fighting cancer. “I really feel like The Christ Hospital is like family, because they made us feel like family.”

About The Christ Hospital Health Network

The Christ Hospital Health Network is an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, with a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers, and dozens of offices conveniently located throughout the region. More than 1,300 talented physicians and more than 6,000 dedicated team members support the Network. Its mission is to improve the health of the community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes and the finest experiences, all in an affordable way. The Network has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report—for the seventh consecutive year as the #1 hospital in Greater Cincinnati for cardiology and heart surgery—and awarded Healthgrades “America’s 50 Best Hospitals” for being in the top 1% in the nation for providing the highest clinical quality year after year. It is also a Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award recipient, which recognizes top-performing healthcare organizations that achieve the 95th percentile or above for performance in patient experience. The Christ Hospital is among a select number of hospitals in the nation to be awarded Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. For more than 130 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves.

About The Dream Foundation

The Dream Foundation, the only national dream-granting organization for terminally ill adults, fulfills final dreams that provide inspiration, comfort, and closure at the end of life with the support of a nationwide network of volunteers, hospices, health care organizations, and committed donors. Dream Foundation has given life to more than 33,000 final dreams since being founded in 1994. Dream Foundation receives no state or federal funding and relies solely on private donations. Dream Foundation

About Genentech

Genentech is a biotechnology company dedicated to pursuing groundbreaking science to discover and develop medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases. Its transformational discoveries include the first targeted antibody for cancer and the first medicine for primary progressive multiple sclerosis. Genentech