David Anton Venanzi

Gail Worth with husband, Dave Venanzi ~ 5/00 In 2/01, my beloved husband was diagnosed with Stage 3b Multiple Myeloma, an incurable blood plasma cancer. He died on 7/11/08 after a protracted and courageous battle! PLEASE support blood cancer research! International Myeloma Foundation Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society If you are a physician reading this, please know the symptoms of Multiple Myeloma. So many people are diagnosed late after much bone damage has already been done!

Dave in 8/00

Photo Tribute to Dave Venanzi

Dave Venanzi (above) on 8/1/01 in Palos Verdes, CA. He had an autologous stem cell transplant at UCLA in 8/01 and achieved remission for 16 months. This procedure is not a cure for Multiple Myeloma. At present, there is no cure. Dave's remission ended in 12/02. Dave died after a valient fight on 7/11/08, surrounded by many friends. update 1/11/07 It has been almost six years since Dave was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. At diagnosis, I was told he had less than three years still to live, so we treasure every day together. He was in remission for sixteen months after his stem cell transplant, but the cancer returned in 12/02. He had been taking a low dose oral chemo regimen for many months, but his measurable disease level began rising in '05. He began Velcade, a chemotherapy infusion, in mid-April '05, but this failed to help him, as did higher dose Thalidomide and Decadron. Dave was becoming transfuion dependent and we had few options still. In October of '05, we were thrilled to be told that Dave's sister, Amy, was a 10/10 HLA match for an allogenic stem-cell transplant! She was deployed as a Major in the US Army Reserves and returned to the U.S. from Iraq to donate her stem cells for the procedure on 11/14/05. Thank-you, Amy! Dave entered UCLA Medical Center on 11/14/05. He was released home in 12/05 after 32 days of hospitalization. Dave fought hard against an escalating tumor burder in 2007. He tried several chemotherapies and finally one suceeded (VDD) really well to bring the cancer level down in 8/07. He suffered a set-back in 8/07 and nearly died with severe bilateral fungal pneumonia, (Pneumocystis jirovecci). After two month of recuperation, he responded well again to Vincristine/Doxil/Dex chemotherapy until 2/08. update 8/6/08 Dave's cancer escalated very rapidly in the spring of 2008. Chemotherapy had ceased working again and we had few options available. Our hemotologist told us there was nothing more he could do for Dave in terms of treating the cancer. Dave was hospitalized for ten days in May '08 for hepatitis. He fought hard to regain his strength so he could take an experimental compound, cyclopamine tartarate, that we felt strongly would help him. Read this about cyclopamine! Unfortunately, his immune system was severely compromised by the huge tumor burden in his bone marrow and he was unable to fight off a massive septic pneumonia. Dave died on 7/11/08, surrounded by many friends who chanted "om mani padme hum" as he passed, as he had wished. Dave was an inspiration to all that knew him and we are so thankful for the time we had with him! He was my teacher and life guide and I will always remember the very true love and passion for life that we shared! Photo Tribute to Dave Venanzi see more about Dave's allogeanic bone marrow transplant Thanks so much for all your kind wishes through all these years Please support blood cancer research! International Myeloma Foundation IMF- Bank On A Cure Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Multiple Myeloma Resource Line for Physicians Multiple Myeloma Support

Dave and Gail at UCLA Medical Center on 8-25-01 during his auto stem cell transplant. Dave and good friend, Tom Vegors, in 3/03 Dave and Iris 7/28/05 Dave and Gail 1/21/06 "Chia" Dave on 1/13/08

Dave in camouflage in Singapore on 11/27/01 He had two stabilizing surgeries on his spinal column called kyphoplasty on 4/3 and 4/10/02 and we were able to scuba dive again in Papua in 12/02 and in Bali and Komodo National Park, Indonesia in 4/03!

Dave with his sisters; Amy on the left and Christina on the right- 11/6/05

Dave in Komodo National Park, Indonesia 4/03.

Click here (page four) to see a clip of Dave Venanzi's underwater video, "Diving Into History: Wrecks of The South Pacific" that was shown at the San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition on 10/18/02 at the San Diego Natural History Museum Theater in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. In 11/02/02, Dave received two Honorable Mentions in the Los Angeles Underwater Photo Society's International Competition for two of his digital videos!

John Goss and Dave in Costa Rica in 11/03 Dave and Gail in Fiji 12/04; underwater photo by good friend Steve Neuerburg    Gail and Dave, Costa Rica 11/03 Dave on 10/20/07 on Santa Rosa Island, Florida

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