Dan Fazzina was diagnosed with a grapefruit sized tumor in his chest when he was just 27. Without major chemo, doctors said he only had three weeks to three months to live.
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Reporter: 27-YEAR-OLD
DANIEL FESINA NEVER SAW IT
COMING.
I DEVELOPED STRANGE
SENSATIONS IN MY CHEST.
IT EVENTUALLY TURNED INTO
PAIN.
Reporter: HE DROVE
HIMSELF TO THE EMERGENCY
ROOM.
THE DOCTOR ORDERED X-RAYS
AND C.T. SCANS.
THE DOCTOR CAME BACK AND
SAID WE FOUND SOMETHING.
IT IS A RATHER LARGE MASS IN
YOUR CHEST.
AND I ASKED HIM HOW LARGE IS
RATHER LARGE?
AND HE SAID IT IS
GRAPEFRUIT-SIZED.
HE SAID IT IS VERY SERIOUS.
YOU NEED TO GET IT EVALUATED
IMMEDIATELY.
I HAD TO GET A BIOPSY, AND
IT TOOK ABOUT A WEEK OR SO
TO GET THE RESULTS.
WHEN THE DOCTOR CALLED ME,
IT WAS AS HE SEVERE,
LYMPHATIC CANCER.
IT WAS SHOCKING.
GETTING THAT NEWS AFTER
NEVER HAVING BEEN SICK
BEFORE IN MY LIFE, IT WAS
ALMOST LIKE I WAS STARRING
IN AN EPISODE OF THE
TWILIGHT ZONE.
Reporter: DANIEL CALLED
HIS GIRLFRIEND, WHO WAS A
MED STUDENT.
IT WAS DEFINITELY SHOCK.
YOU HEAR THE WORD CANCER,
AND YOU AUTOMATICALLY
ASSOCIATE IT WITH DEATH AND
DYING AND END OF LIFE.
HIS TUMOR WAS SO LARGE THAT
WHEN HE HAD SHOWN ME HIS
P.E.T. SCAN, I HAD LOOKED AT
AND SAID THAT'S YOUR HEART.
AND HE SAID NO, THAT'S THE
TUMOR.
IT WASN'T THE CANCER THAT
WAS THE THREAT.
IT WAS THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL
SIZE THAT WAS THE THREAT.
IT WAS CRUSHING THIS MAJOR
ARTERY.
WE KIND OF WERE FORCED TO
GO THROUGH CHEMO.
AND THE WAY THE DOCTORS SAID
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A
FORM OF CHEMO THAT IS
RELATIVELY A PALLIATIVE
FORM.
WE DON'T EXPECT THAT YOU'RE
GOING TO GET BETTER, BUT YOU
HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
THEY WEREN'T SURE IF IT
WAS GOING TO RESPOND.
BUT WITHOUT IT, HE SAID I
WOULD BE DEAD WITHIN A
MATTER OF THREE WEEKS TO
THREE MONTHS.
IT WAS CRUSHING HIS
PULMONARY ARTERY.
WHICH MEANS HIS LUNGS WERE
NOT GETTING BLOOD, WHICH
MEANS THERE WAS NO O OXYGEN
OXYGENATED BLOOD GOING
THROUGH HIS BODY.
MY WHOLE BODY WAS IN
PAIN, LIKE BURNING ON THE
INSIDE OF ME.
I WAS TOO WEAK TO WALK.
YOUR G.I. TRACT AND YOUR
GUMS -- EVERYTHING GETS
SORE.
HE COULDN'T KEEP ANYTHING
DOWN AND HE WAS JUST DRY
HEAVING, TO THE POINT WHERE
HE WAS PROBABLY VOMITING
BILE BECAUSE IT WAS GREEN.
MY HEART BROKE FOR HIM.
I WAS, LIKE, GOD, I WILL
TAKE HIS PLACE.
LET ME DO ANYTHING I CAN TO
TAKE HIS SUFFERING AWAY.
AND WILL IS NOTHING.
AND YOU TRY TO HAVE FAITH
THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE
GLORY THAT IS GOING TO COME
OUT OF IT, BUT YOU DON'T IN
THAT MOMENT.
YOU JUST DON'T.
SO THOSE WERE SOME DARK
MOMENTS.
Reporter: FRIENDS AND
FAMILY VISITED DANIEL IN THE
HOSPITAL.
I HAD SO MANY PEOPLE
PRAYING FOR ME.
I HAD PEOPLE PROPHESYING TO
ME, SAYING THIS THING WAS
BORN TO DIE.
IT IS GOING TO BE A
TESTIMONY TO THE LORD.
JUST PRAYING FOR HIM AND
FOR US AND FOR HIS PARENTS.
AND YOU JUST FELT THE WHOLE
WEEK THEY WERE THERE WITH
YOU.
YOU JUST FELT LIKE THERE
WERE ANGELS PRAYING FOR YOU
THE WHOLE TIME.
YOU JUST FELT THEIR
PRESENCE.
IT WAS AMAZING.
PEOPLE ANOINTING ME WITH
OIL AND PRAYING OVER ME,
BOTH IN THE HOSPITAL AND
AFTER I GOT OUT.
I REMEMBER THE PASTOR SAYING
YOU NEED TO JUST CRY OUT TO
GOD AND LET HIM KNOW THAT
YOU NEED HIM.
BECAUSE I WAS REALLY HOLDING
EVERYTHING INSIDE.
IT WAS AT THAT POINT, WHEN
MY FRIENDS WERE LAYING HANDS
ON ME IN THE CHURCH, AND I
JUST GOT DOWN ON MY KNEES
AND THE FLOODGATES OPENED.
I WAS CRYING HYSTERICALLY.
CRYING OUT TO GOD, SAYING, I
NEED YOU!
I NEED YOU!
I HAD NEVER DONE THAT
BEFORE.
THAT WAS A BIG STEP FOR ME.
Reporter: DANIEL WENT
BACK TO THE HOSPITAL FOR HIS
NEXT TREATMENT.
THE TUMOR HAD GOTTEN
BIGGER, AND I WAS
SUFFOCATING.
AND I REMEMBER BEING IN THE
HOSPITAL BED, LITERALLY
DYING, AND I REMEMBER
LOOKING UP TO GOD AND
SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF
YOU WANT TO TAKE ME, I'LL GO
WITH YOU.
I KNOW I'M YOUR CHILD.
YOUR WORD SAYS TO BE ABSENT
FROM THE BODY IS TO BE
PRESENT WITH THE LORD, AND I
BELIEVE THAT.
IF YOU WANT TO HEAL ME AND
LET ME LIVE, I'LL DO MY BEST
TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD YOUR
GOODNESS, YOUR GRACE, YOUR
LOVE, YOUR MERCY, AND YOUR
POWER.
AND THAT WAS REALLY A
TURNING POINT FOR ME.
LEARNING TO LET GO AND TO
JUST TRUST THE LORD.
Reporter: DANIEL WENT
IN FOR TESTS AT THE MIDWAY
POINT OF HIS CHEMO.
HALF WAY THROUGH THE
TREATMENTS, WHEN THEY TOOK
THAT SECOND SCAN, WHICH THEY
WERE JUST HOPING THAT THE
TUMOR WOULD BE SMALLER.
AND IT CAME BACK COMPLETELY
NEGATIVE,, LIKE, JUST GONE.
I REMEMBER LOOKING UP TO
HEAVEN, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL
DAY, CRYSTAL CLEAR, BLUE
SKY, AND TEARS RUNNING DOWN
MY FACE, AND I SAID, THANK
YOU, LORD.
THANK YOU.
IT WAS THE BEST CHRISTMAS
GIFT I EVER HAD.
THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN.
I MEAN, I SAW THAT TUMOR.
IT WAS GU GINORMOUS.
AND I SAID, IT DOESN'T JUST
GO AWAY.
AND NOT ONLY WAS IT NOT
THERE, THERE WASN'T EVEN
SCAR TISSUE.
USUALLY WHEN TUMORS RETRACT,
THERE IS SOME TYPE OF SCAR
TISSUE LEFT BEHIND.
AND THERE WASN'T ANYTHING.
WORDS CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE
THE FEELING.
WALKING ON AIR, COMING OUT
OF THIS PLACE, HOLDING THIS
PICTURE IN MY HAND OF A
COMPLETELY NORMAL P.E.T.
SCAN.
WHERE THREE MONTHS EARLIER I
HAD THIS OMINOUS TUMOR
THREATENING MY LIFE.
WORDS CAN'T DESCRIBE THE
FEELING.
BEING ABLE TO TELL MY FAMILY
AND MY FRIENDS I'M GOING TO
BE OKAY.
IT WAS JUST AMAZING.
Reporter: DANIEL AND
SAHANI MARRIED IN 2003.
SAHANI GRADUATED FROM MED
SCHOOL IN 2007.
TODAY SHE IS A PODIATRIST,
AND DANIEL IS THE HOST OF
"DIVINE INTERVENTION."
A POPULAR SHOW ABOUT MODERN
DAY MIRACLES.
IT WAS THE FAITH OF MY
FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND THEY
PRAYED FOR ME.
AND I'M REMINDED OF THE
STORY AND THE GOSPEL OF
MARK, WHERE THE FOUR FRIENDS
ARE CARRYING THE PARALYTIC
FRIEND TO JESUS.
AND THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH
THE CROWD AND THEY HAVE TO
GO UP ON THE ROOF AND LOWER
HIM DOWN BECAUSE OF THE
CROWD.
AND IT SAYS WHEN JESUS SAW
THEIR FAITH, HE HEALED THE
PARALYTIC.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE
PARALYTIC HAD FAITH OR NOT,
BUT I KNOW HIS FRIENDS DID.
AND SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT
YOU NEED, PEOPLE AROUND YOU
TO PRAY FOR YOU AND BRING
YOU INTO THE PRESENCE OF
JESUS.
AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN
MY CASE.