My son, Stefano Dioguardi, was a very special soul from the moment he was born. He had a smile that could light up any room, and he made everyone around him feel loved. He spoke his first words at one year old, and even though he was a little slower to walk, by his first birthday he was already enjoying pizza his favorite food.

Stefano grew up in a time when kids played outside until the streetlights came on, and I would call him in for dinner… he was always hungry :)

His childhood was full of laughter, friends, and joy. His birthday parties were legendary, sometimes 50 kids would come to celebrate him. He was healthy, smart, and full of energy, always playing sports or games outside.

At 14, he used his birthday money gifts to buy a PlayStation and a huge TV, and we turned the garage into his “man cave.” At that time he had 2 sisters Stella & Silvana and he really needed his space LOL!

For his 15th birthday, he traveled to Italy, spending time with his cousins and returning with a suitcase full of pasta and treats. He came back more Italian than ever, so proud of his roots.

Also Stefano’s Venezuelan roots were always part of him, no party was complete without his favorite, tequeños. He had a gift for making people of all ages feel special, whether talking with friends, parents, or elders, always leaving everyone feeling heard and valued.

Although he first touched a water polo ball at just three months old, it wasn’t until high school that Stefano truly fell in love with the sport. He started playing water polo at 15, and it became his passion. He loved swimming, but what he loved most was his team,the bond, the brotherhood, the game itself. He became captain of the Pembroke Pines Charter High School team, and he carried that role with pride. He was also a teammate at South Florida Waterpolo and loved his time there his coaches and friends never left his side while he was undergoing cancer treatment.

Stefano had a kind and generous heart. He volunteered at Memorial Hospital, where his sisters were born, and dreamed of becoming a doctor, specifically a pediatrician. He loved children so much that he used to joke he only wanted young patients, because he “didn’t really want to deal with adults.”

When Stefano was about 16, he started to complain of pain. Doctors thought it was growing pains or sports injuries, since he was always so active. But after high school graduation, the pain became unbearable. Tests revealed a mass, and a biopsy confirmed our worst fear, Cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma.

Hearing those words broke our hearts. The timing was especially cruel…I had just finished my own breast cancer treatment. It felt like something out of a movie, but it was our reality.

Even after the diagnosis, Stefano never lost his strength. He told his friends:

“I wish my life hadn’t changed, but it did. So I’m ready to face it.”

And that’s exactly how he lived. He endured a year of chemotherapy and radiation, fighting through pain and side effects with courage and grace. Despite everything, he made the most of the time he had left.

We bought him the car he wanted. We gave him the dog he had always dreamed of. He laughed, loved, and surrounded himself with friends and family. He lived fully, even in the hardest of times.

During his treatment, we realized how few resources exist for teenagers and young adults with cancer. Stefano was treated in a Joe Di Maggio children’s hospital in Hollywood Florida, often surrounded by five-year-olds. While everyone was kind, he often felt out of place.

He cherished conversations with young staff members who understood him better, but I saw firsthand how much more support teenagers like him need. whether that’s a laptop for schoolwork in the hospital, a phone to stay connected with friends, or simply the comfort of knowing they’re not alone.

After Stefano passed, we knew we had to continue his legacy. This is why we created the Forza Stefano Charitable Foundation to support teens and young adults facing cancer, to give them the resources and love that Stefano received, and to make sure his light continues to shine.