When Federico Capitani was told he was going to be a father for the first time at the end of June, it was a bittersweet feeling.
Just hours earlier, the otherwise fit and healthy father-to-be had received a cancer diagnosis that came as a shock.
The 33-year-old, originally from Milan but living in Sydney for 10 years, has osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. The only symptom was a 10cm lump that appeared on his right side, under his armpit.
Devastated by the news, Federico spent the day alone trying to digest the news and wondering how he was going to tell his girlfriend Gisela, 33.
“It was probably the saddest I’ve ever been in my entire life,” she told FEMAIL.
But later that night, Gisela had news of her own and came rushing through the door, beaming with joy.
“I’m pregnant!” she announced, immediately erasing any thoughts of cancer from Frederico’s mind.
But Gisela realized that something was not right and she couldn’t keep it to herself.
Federico Capitani (pictured with his girlfriend Gisela) was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, one morning in late June. Later that day, Gisela revealed that she was pregnant.
The only symptom was a 10cm lump that appeared on her right side under her armpit.
“I was stunned and couldn’t believe it, but I had to tell him I had cancer. We hugged each other and cried, because we knew my life would be in jeopardy,” she recalled.
The diagnosis shocked his network of family and close friends because Federico has always been fit, healthy and has followed a balanced diet.
He goes to the gym five times a week, plays soccer twice a week, and goes for a 5km run with Gisela once a week.
He also has no family history of the disease, except for his grandfather, who had prostate cancer.
In March, Federico felt severe discomfort and pain after 20 minutes of lying on his right side. Then, in the shower, he noticed a lump that was not painful to the touch and which he initially thought was a hernia or a growth on the skin.
“I looked in the mirror, lifted my hand and saw there was something there. But I never thought it was cancer,” she said.
The diagnosis was a shock for Federico, who is fit, healthy and has plenty of energy. He goes to the gym five times a week, plays football twice a week and goes for a 5km run with Gisela once a week.
What he didn’t know was that the cancerous tumor between his sixth and ninth ribs was as big as a lemon. It has now grown to the size of an orange in just six weeks.
Federico made an appointment with his family doctor who immediately sent him for tests.
Because she has a visa and does not have access to Medicare, she had to pay her medical expenses out of pocket.
“It wasn’t clear what the lump was that started to worry me so I had a biopsy at St Vincent’s Hospital and the results came back less than a week later and I was then diagnosed,” she said.
‘I thought my life was coming to an end, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know the meaning of life anymore. The first thing that came to my mind was to go back to Italy and be with my family.’
The wonderful news of the pregnancy has given Federico a driving ambition to fight cancer.
But pregnancy was the hope she needed to move forward.
“I thought maybe there was a reason to continue. I knew I had to fix this to secure my future,” he added.
At this stage, the tumor has reached its maximum capacity in the small space between his ribs and doctors are unsure if it is affecting his lungs.
Federico was scheduled to undergo three separate operations on August 30 at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital to remove the tumour.
But unfortunately this has been postponed because the medical team cannot offer a valid solution for the reconstruction of the thorax.
“The company that was planning to use me has just declared bankruptcy, so their team has decided to disassociate itself from my operation,” explained Federico.
This means you will probably have to wait two to three months to be operated on by a new medical team.
Now all she can do is wait for the call for surgery. Since she has a visa and does not have access to Medicare.
Federico stressed that he has no time to waste and hopes that the operation can be carried out sooner rather than later.
“I feel disappointed by the whole situation; there is a part of me that feels responsible in some way,” he said.
“I asked myself, ‘What have I done to deserve this? ’ At 33, I still didn’t feel like it was my time.”
Doctors are also unsure what might have caused the cancer to develop; surgeons said osteosarcoma and soft tissue sarcoma can occur when muscle or bone cells suddenly change their DNA for no clear reason.
They also suggested it could be caused by exposure to chemicals, possibly present in tap water or non-organic fruits and vegetables.
Federico said he was already eating mostly organic foods and didn’t drink much tap water, so the cause remains unknown.
Now all he can do is wait for the call for surgery.
A link to Federico’s GoFundMe campaign can be found in the bullet points.
