KAILUA-KONA — Carlos Soria’s beaming smile stretched from ear to ear as he stepped onto the red carpet in Zion, Illinois, and flashed the camera the trademark Hawaiian shaka sign. ADVERTISING KAILUA-KONA — Carlos Soria’s beaming smile stretched from ear
KAILUA-KONA — Carlos Soria’s beaming smile stretched from ear to ear as he stepped onto the red carpet in Zion, Illinois, and flashed the camera the trademark Hawaiian shaka sign.
It was June 10, the date of the 28th annual Celebrate Life Event honoring five-year cancer survivors, and Soria was one of more than 100 esteemed honorees.
“Doing that red carpet walk — that was the best,” said Soria, the same wide smile still spread across his face. “I was on cloud nine, or I should say, cloud five.”
Five years earlier, when Soria, retired now in Kailua-Kona, stepped onto the grounds of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center for the first time, his demeanor was not as joyous.
Diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 60, Soria was forced to take a 10-week hiatus from his job at UPS in his lifelong home of Riverside, California, to undergo radiation treatment halfway across the country.
“It was a shock,” Soria said. “I just kept thinking, ‘Wow. I’ve got cancer.’”
After seeking a second opinion, Soria and his wife Mary decided CTCA was the right choice for them. Upon arrival, the Soria’s were bombarded with the same positive vibes that made June’s celebration such a memorable occasion.
“They make you feel important and special,” said Mary, who accompanied her husband to Illinois and remained with him there throughout the course of his treatment. “It’s like you’re a celebrity, but everybody is treated that way. They take all the stress out of every day life.”
A limousine picked the Sorias up from the airport and shuttled them to the guest quarters near the hospital, which were equipped with everything temporary residents needed to live comfortably.
Soon after, Soria was assigned a team specifically focused on his treatment and recovery, and had a detailed schedule of activities that went beyond treatment to include dietary suggestions, exercise programs and sleep schedules.
“Everything was positive,” Soria said. “I drew strength from that. It was a big lift. You were always getting positive feedback, and if you just do what you’re told to do, you fight and you win.”
The quarters provided a sense of community with other patients and families struggling through the same ordeal, and the Sorias developed friendships amid the most trying time in their lives.
They grew particularly close to one woman, Cynthia Graham, who was battling breast cancer and going through chemotherapy and radiation simultaneously. Graham approached Soria at the celebration five years later, but this time healthy and with a full head of hair.
“At first, I didn’t recognize her!” Soria said with a laugh. “But then she spoke and I (recognized her) by her southern accent.”
After his 10 weeks were up, Soria returned home to California. One month later, he travelled back to Zion for three days of heavy dosage radiation.
Not long after, his medical team called with good news. His cancer had been completely eradicated, and because of his insurance, the entire ordeal had cost him only $5.
“I was very lucky,” Soria said.
He returned to work, but now a cancer survivor in his early 60s, his perception of life had changed, and a lifelong dream beckoned him from across the Pacific Ocean.
“After I finished my treatment, I went to work for a little bit and everything was rush, rush. You have to get this done, timetables, this and that; it was just too much,” Soria said. “And my wife, the rock that she is, just my everything, she said it was time.”
Soria put in his retirement papers, and less than a year after his world was rocked by a diagnosis of prostate cancer, he was living his dream as a resident of Kailua-Kona. He’s spent the last four years soaking in the joy of living, as well as a healthy dose of sunshine, as he and Mary enjoy the slower pace of life on Hawaii Island.
Now, the Sorias volunteer their time working for the IRONMAN competition and building houses for Habitat For Humanity. As happy as he is with his choice to retire and move to Hawaii, Soria still regards it as a distant second to his decision to pursue his cancer treatment with CTCA.
“(CTCA) took us one at a time, and they were focused on you,” Soria said. “This is the way they’ve been the whole five years. It’s all about you. They want you to beat cancer. They want you to fight and win. And I fought. And I and won.”
