David Cesolini 1982 – 2020
A Little About David

David Cesolini 1982 – 2020

On July 7, 2020, David left us to join the many saints and angels singing praises to God in heaven. As heaven celebrates his arrival, we mourn his departure.

David fought hard. He fought for his children, his wife, his friends, and he fought for every single person who was rooting for him. Ultimately there was a greater master plan for David and toward the end, he finally had a chance to rest and went peacefully, surrounded by his family whom he loved.

David is survived by his wife, Amy; his 8 adorable children; his mother, Joyce; his brothers and sister; and countless friends and family members.

To everyone who donated during this time, thank you! Your donations took the worry out of the diagnosis and helped ensure the family was able to focus on the last remaining months of David’s life and not be concerned with medical bills or putting food on the table. There are many more outstanding expenses coming up, including those bills for final care and funeral costs, and due to the outpouring of support, we believe we may have enough to cover those expenses. However, if you are still feeling led to donate, anything received which exceeds those additional expenses on the horizon (including living expenses, health insurance and coverage for the family) will be placed in a long term account as a college savings fund for the children.

If you are unable to donate, or don’t feel called to do so, please don’t feel pressured. We are a family strong in faith and we just ask that you remember Amy and the family in prayer as they struggle to find the new normal in their lives.

A Little About David

David is one in a million – I don’t mean that in the sense that he is just a unique person, I mean he is one of those people who has a positive impact to the lives of every person he comes across.

I met David over 20 years ago, when he first started dating my sister in high school. I was immediately taken aback by his honesty and innocence; he wasn’t just some other kid, and there was something special about him. He treated everyone he met with a familiarity that old friends show one another, and had a passion for fun and excitement which was unmatched. If you ever caught David without a smile, you knew something was wrong.

Watching David “grow up” from the little kid I first met has been one of my greater pleasures in life. No matter how much he has been through (and it has been a lot), his smile never faded and his drive for life never diminished. He lost his closest brother in a traffic accident shortly before he married my sister. Although you could see the pain in his eyes, his reassuring smile and resolve to continue pressing on in life shone through. When he lost his father during the fall of 2018, that same smile and confidence was something that you could lean on.

In the fall of 2019, David got sick. He got very sick. After many visits to the doctor and a few hospital stays, David was diagnosed with something that, at least temporarily, wiped the smile off his face. On Christmas morning, David was rushed to the hospital with excruciating pain in his ribs, and it was discovered that he had stage IV melanoma which had spread, including to the lung, spine, brain and other tissues. In the two days that followed, David sat through numerous scans and was sent in for surgery on his spine to remove some of the tumors. Although there hasn’t been a lot of good news on his diagnosis, David’s smile is slowly returning. It’s a smile that the family desperately needed to see, and it has given everyone strength and resolve to fight with him to ensure he remains comfortable and lives every day to the fullest.

As of December 27, the biopsy is being reviewed and the oncologist is preparing a plan of attack. Although he may not ever be “cured” of this cancer, David is fighting as if his life depends on it, because it does. He has a strong network of friends and family who are praying for him and are supporting him and his family in any way they can.

A Little About David

David is one in a million – I don’t mean that in the sense that he is just a unique person, I mean he is one of those people who has a positive impact to the lives of every person he comes across.

I met David over 20 years ago, when he first started dating my sister in high school. I was immediately taken aback by his honesty and innocence; he wasn’t just some other kid, and there was something special about him. He treated everyone he met with a familiarity that old friends show one another, and had a passion for fun and excitement which was unmatched. If you ever caught David without a smile, you knew something was wrong.

Watching David “grow up” from the little kid I first met has been one of my greater pleasures in life. No matter how much he has been through (and it has been a lot), his smile never faded and his drive for life never diminished. He lost his closest brother in a traffic accident shortly before he married my sister. Although you could see the pain in his eyes, his reassuring smile and resolve to continue pressing on in life shone through. When he lost his father during the fall of 2018, that same smile and confidence was something that you could lean on.

In the fall of 2019, David got sick. He got very sick. After many visits to the doctor and a few hospital stays, David was diagnosed with something that, at least temporarily, wiped the smile off his face. On Christmas morning, David was rushed to the hospital with excruciating pain in his ribs, and it was discovered that he had stage IV melanoma which had spread, including to the lung, spine, brain and other tissues. In the two days that followed, David sat through numerous scans and was sent in for surgery on his spine to remove some of the tumors. Although there hasn’t been a lot of good news on his diagnosis, David’s smile is slowly returning. It’s a smile that the family desperately needed to see, and it has given everyone strength and resolve to fight with him to ensure he remains comfortable and lives every day to the fullest.

As of December 27, the biopsy is being reviewed and the oncologist is preparing a plan of attack. Although he may not ever be “cured” of this cancer, David is fighting as if his life depends on it, because it does. He has a strong network of friends and family who are praying for him and are supporting him and his family in any way they can.

Family

David married his wife, Amy, on March 15, 2003, and together they have brought 8 beautiful kids into the world. David, along with Amy, have worked tirelessly to make sure their kids are raised in a strong and loving family environment, and they love they all have for each other is something to behold.

Work

David worked for many years as a police officer for Arizona Highway Patrol. One evening, while finishing a stop, David was rear ended by a vehicle. The injuries David sustained in that collision forced him to leave his dream job. Since then, David has worked at Bank of America in fraud and ATM securities.

Faith

David has been a Christian for as early as he can remember. His love of God motivates him and drives his actions. David has taken an active role in any church he attends, and most recently has been on the security team for Redemption Gateway in Mesa, Az.

Life

David is passionate about so many things in life. He has always enjoyed getting together in person or online with friends to play a few rounds of video games. The relationships he has maintained over the years with his gaming friends have been strong and something David cherishes.

Medical Details

For a full timeline, please visit the Medical Timeline page.

David started showing signs of being sick toward the end of October, 2019. His initial diagnosis was pneumonia and he began his first round of antibiotics. He spoke with his doctor at the beginning of November and things weren’t getting better, so his doctor prescribed a second, more powerful round of antibiotics.

On November 15, David was admitted to the hospital with shortness of breath and intense pains in his chest. They performed a CT scan during that visit and discovered a lump in his lungs. Given his age and non-smoker status, the doctors determined the lump was valley fever. He was officially diagnosed with valley fever and pleurisy, and was sent home.

After a month, on December 16, a pulmonologist ordered a biopsy of the lung mass as David wasn’t getting better. That biopsy was scheduled for December 26.

On Christmas morning, David was in an extreme amount of pain. After opening Christmas presents, David was taken to the ER where they performed a CT scan and MRI. The news wasn’t good. The lump in his lung had spread and metastasized to his spine, with trace abnormalities found in his fatty tissue and surrounding his lungs. That day, David was transferred from Mercy Gilbert to Banner University for further diagnosis and procedures to be performed.

On December 27, David went into surgery to remove some of the cancerous tumors which had attached themselves to his spine. Although they couldn’t remove all the tumors, they were able to get a substantial amount and relieve some of his pain.

As of December 28, CT mapping has been performed and we are waiting for biopsy results to determine the best course of treatment.

Financial Needs

With 8 kids, ranging in age from 9 months to 14 years old, Amy has a large and wonderful family. Three of her young children were diagnosed with a life-long disease called Cystic Fibrosis (CF). CF isn’t a disease which is simply managed with medication, and it takes daily lifestyle changes with frequent medical visits in order to manage symptoms. The medical supplies, along with medication and dietary concerns, all have a large financial impact on the family. David and Amy were fortunate to have the resources available to them where they can manage financially, although some months become very tight when anything unexpected comes along.

With David’s diagnosis and the ultimate outcome, Amy is in dire need of financial support. David was the breadwinner of the family, and due to the ages of the children and medical concerns, there is an immediate need for financial assistance for the family. They need food, medical supplies, a way to now secure healthcare coverage, and ongoing financial support to meet their day to day needs.

Newsletter and Updates

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Donate to help Amy and her Family

Amy and her family really need support, now more than ever. The diagnosis and outcome is difficult for anyone, and when it happens to the breadwinner of a household, it is especially difficult for the family. If you can find it in your heart to donate any amount or a meal, it would have a huge impact on the family as they fight to make it through this time.