There are times when people enter your life and you immediately know you have been touched by someone special. For anyone who met Charlie Ingrassia, this is certainly the feeling you had when he extended his hand.
Charlie was invited to Compass to Care’s 4thAnniversary Party back in 2014. I was completely drawn to him when we met. During our first conversation, Charlie told me he had cancer as a child and was interested in joining Compass to Care’s Associate Board. Though we had vastly different childhood cancer journeys, we forged a strong bond over the fights we had faced, as well as the desire to help other children who are where we had been.
Charlie had been diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma and had endured multiple facial operations. His journey was long. And his parents, just like mine, were his constant advocates. He had a truly special bond with them, as they never gave up hope for their son’s cure.
Though Charlie had won the fight over his childhood diagnosis, he had developed colon cancer as a young adult. When he stepped off the Associate Board, after several years of commitment, he was starting a new job at Adler Murphy & McQuillen LLP and was facing some medical challenges.
To be honest, I was always worried about Charlie. So I consistently checked in on him.
I was heartbroken when Charlie told me in April 2017 that he had been diagnosed with yet another form of cancer. He had osteosarcoma that was not responding to chemo or radiation therapy. As a result, he had to have his right leg amputated and his right pelvis removed. Several months later he found out the cancer had metastasized to his right lung.
While many of us would have likely felt complete defeat, that was not Charlie. He told me going on chemo again has been a “setback” but he was planning to relocate to the Loop to shorten his commute when he went back to work full time.
To everyone’s complete devastation, Charlie passed away on February 17, 2019. This week, we received a truly generous donation from Charlie’s parents, Paul and Susan, in Charlie’s honor to support Compass to Care’s kids. The brave battle of this amazing man is now supporting the brave fights of our children and we are honored to be the liaison between both.
Charlie will live on in the hearts and memories of the many, many lives he touched. And I pray when adversity stares me in the face, that I am able to channel the incredible positivity and never-give-up attitude of Charlie Ingrassia.
Rest in peace, my friend.