Planet eCore: Jose Gomez - Inspirational eCore Cancer Survivor

José Gomez is an 18-year cancer survivor. In 1994, at the age of four, he was diagnosed with leukemia. After chemotherapy and treatment, he did well until the cancer came back in 1999. José then received a bone marrow transplant from one of his three siblings, and his cancer was gone again. Little did he know that his health battles were just beginning. José began to experience lung complications as a result of the bone marrow transplant. In 2007, he received the first of two double lung transplants. 

José began taking traditional college courses in the Fall of 2009. By Thanksgiving of that year, he was hospitalized and unable to finish his coursework. In Fall 2010, José began taking eCore classes, as his doctors felt he was not physically able to attend regular campus classes.

Today, José is a full time eCore student. He says that if not for eCore he would not have been able to continue his education. He hopes to eventually attend and complete medical school.  

Jose explains that he likes being able to take work in his classes any time of the day. While he usually prefers doing his coursework in the afternoon, he works late at night if he has trouble sleeping.  He says that he also really likes the resources available to eCore students, particularly tutoring. 

When asked his age, Jose says, “With the beard I am 21. Without the beard I am 12. And when I go to Golden Corral I am definitely 12!”  Jose actually celebrated his 22nd birthday earlier this week (November 6).

Jose has been an inspiration to all who know him, including eCore staff who have interacted with him. A Facebook friend of Jose's recently posted an original Jose quote on his wall: "Never talk defeat, for if you do, you can talk yourself into accepting it."