A couple with two children who faced not one but two cancer diagnoses have revealed how they survived together.
Alex Ozores, 49, a physician, and his wife Denise, 45, also a doctor, were devastated when Alex was diagnosed with an aggressive lymphoma.
The cancer, which attacks the lymphatic system, had caused an 80% obstruction in his abdomen.
READ MORE: ‘I was given 24 hours to live after X-ray showed aggressive cancer crushing my insides’
“He had endured the pain for about four months,” Denise told Need To Know.
“We repeated tests to check and double check everything.
“The lymphoma was all over his abdomen and in his intestine.
“And as soon as the doctors discovered it, we immediately travelled to the next available hospital to undergo treatment.”
Alex’s treatment included intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Denise said: “For Alex, it was physically very difficult.
“He lost a lot of weight, his hair and eyebrows.
“For me, it was a period of great faith.
“I tried to sustain the family and be present in the hospital every day.”
At the time, their daughters, Luiza and Rafaela, were just four and one.
Denise said: “My eldest daughter felt the process more.
“Both of them would go to the hospital every day, so they did not perceive the drastic transformation he went through.
“It was a very important moment for our family because we felt our faith was being tested.”
Week by week, Alex got stronger.
Denise said: “He had a very aggressive lymphoma.
“If we had not discovered it quickly, his life expectancy would have been only a few months.
“After a long treatment, remission finally arrived.
“And because the chemotherapy was very intense, after four months there was no longer any tumour.
“From the beginning of the treatment, I strongly believed he would be cured.
“My faith was very firm and unshakable.
“Of course, we continue with frequent follow-up exams.”
But six years after Alex’s diagnosis, Denise started her own battle.
She said: “During the pandemic I found a lesion that needed further investigations.
“And it was Alex who received my diagnosis. He was devastated.
“I found him in tears, calling the doctor who had treated him.
“But then he regained his strength and stood firmly by my side.”
Denise was diagnosed with a hormone-dependent breast carcinoma.
She said: “I felt total despair. I wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide until everything was over.”
Determined to fight, Denise underwent six chemotherapy sessions, 29 radiotherapy sessions, and had the tumour removed.
She said: “Chemotherapy was every 21 days, and radiotherapy twice a week for eight months.
“During treatment I felt inclined to live everything as intensely as possible, seeking both physical and emotional healing.
“I say that Alex was prepared by God to live this moment with me.
“He was truly a partner, helping me with all his strength.
“We lived this time together as a moment to strengthen our faith, our union, our purpose, and our family.”
But the emotional toll was huge.
Denise said: “I experimented with different wigs and hair prostheses – four in total – until I found one that gave me back a sense of confidence and style.
“Through every stage, Alex was at my side: in shops, in appointments, and during chemotherapy sessions.”
Denise is now in remission but is still taking medication which she will finish next year.
She said: “I am grateful that I discovered the diagnosis at an early stage.
“Despite all the suffering from the treatment itself, hair loss, and everything else, there was much gratitude.
“It has also been very important to us as a family to go through these things and allow our daughters to experience this moment of overcoming with us.”
For the couple who live in Bahia, Brazil, cancer was “not a death sentence”.
They said: “We have a legacy through a book we wrote, where we tell our journey.
“We carry the mission of giving strength and courage to people who go through challenges. We carry the mission of being living witnesses of God’s love and care.
“Families should unite, have focus, direction, and faith.
“We all carry our stories, and they become memories.
“Let us make those memories in the lightest way possible, with much resilience and faith.”
TIMELINE
• Alex diagnosed – 2014 • Alex cured – 2015 • Denise diagnosed – 2020 • Denise cured – Still on medication but hoping to get the all clear in 2026
