Interview with my niece
In October of 2020 my uncle was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer and told he had approximately 6 to 12 months to live. Now, almost 5 years later my uncle is reflecting on what these last 5 years have meant to him, his wife, and his view on the legacy he wants to leave behind.
As I ask my uncle about his journey up to this point he recounts his original chest x-ray and Barium Swallow Test with his PCP, which started this chapter in his life’s journey. My uncle recounts the initial difficulty navigating the medical system, insurance, PET scans, months of chemotherapy, days on end of radiation, and the debilitating effects on him both physically and mentally. He recounts the depression he fell into characterized by feelings of defeat, negatively, fear, breakdowns, and feeling like a lost child. It was during this defeated and depressed state that brought him to reflect on the approach he had taken to rid himself of another previous diagnosis: Type II Diabetes.
He recalls that he asked himself “how do I break the mold, think differently, and prepare for the inevitable?” After doing his own research and learning about a connection between sugar, glucose, and cancer growth my uncle decided, against his oncologist’s recommendations, to stay on a ketogenic diet. His doctors remained concerned as he continued to lose weight, but when he had his next PET scan in 2021 my uncle, aunt, and I am assuming his doctors were relieved to learn there had been no cancer growth. As my uncle approached the 12 month anniversary of his original 6-12 month expiration date he stated “at this point I feel I have beat cancer.” After 4 years of annual PET scans, chemotherapy, radiation, targeted immunotherapy, and a mostly ketogenic diet we fast forward to fall of 2024, where my uncle is told there has been “significant growth” and again told he has 3-6 months to live. April 2025 is the 6 month mark, and while my uncle plans to keep living as long as he can, he is also beginning to reflect deeply on what it is he hopes one of the many footprints he leaves behind will be, a legacy one could say.
As a child I would have predicted my uncle to say his legacy would be in his and his wife's photography business, however, his answer has evolved with him. At the end of January 2025 I visited my aunt and uncle and from the moment they picked me up from the airport in their Kia-EV9 my uncle could not stop raving about the power of sustainable energy. He began speaking about the impact solar energy has on us as humans and the planet, hypothetical solar panels I could put on a home I yet to own, trying to convince me I could afford an electric car, but most importantly in that moment, how we could use the pool as a hot tub later that night because their house ran on solar. Even at the end of January during a cold front, he said they could run the pool heater and it would barely cost a thing. Sitting in that pool felt like visiting a private hot spring with the steam coming up from the water.
Talking openly and hearing about one’s cancer journey I think is a difficult conversation to be a part of for most. However, I think what we often forget or overlook is that a person with cancer is still a person first, and them having cancer is a part of them but not their sole identifier. At times, I think it can be hard to remember that the people we know and love who are diagnosed with cancer are still the people we know full of interests, hobbies, and passions completely independent of their diagnosis. My uncle is an incredible example of this. I would argue to define him as simply Raymond Malkiewicz, insert how you know him qualifier (e.g. my uncle), the one with cancer incredibility reduces and dismisses all other aspects of him.
Wind farms in Texas with the sun's glow - I've always liked this image
above photo - my niece Adrian photographed in the Texas bluebonnets...
When I visited with my uncle this past January, yes, him having cancer was a topic of discussion, but it was honestly the least coversed about topic during the visit. Between shared meals, card games (mostly canasta), movies, the pool turned hot tub experience, and just time spent together there were discussions about politics, his and mom’s childhood, Roth IRAs and how I should go about starting one, the photography business him and my aunt use to run, yes, cancer, and the current work he is passionate about and continues to engage with promoting renewable energy. I do not think it is possible for my uncle to not, at some point, broach the topic of renewable energy with anyone he converses with because he is so passionate about it. He lights up when he talks about his last 7 years of experience with solar panels. He cannot help but share his excitement of how after he and my aunt installed solar panels on their home their utility bill dropped from triple digits to an average of $20 a month. His excitement and passion is palpable, but so his awareness of the long term impacts that will outlive him, me, and you. He expresses:
“The financial benefits are undeniable, but the true value of solar extends far beyond monetary savings. It's about reclaiming control over our energy choices both external and internal, reducing our environmental footprint, and fostering a sense of self-sufficiency, freedom and community empowerment”
I think it is natural to be skeptical when someone starts promoting the newest and greatest thing, especially when the initial investment may be a hefty one for many of us and the person raving about it is also selling it. But the thing is, my uncle's belief in renewable energy is not one built on falsities; it is one built on authenticity, both personal passion and scientific evidence. If one were to question his authenticity I would highlight the fact that my uncle highlighted to me: he and his wife have decided that a portion of profits from the sale (s) of solar will go to cancer research and back his community. His legacy will be one of passion, growth, and the betterment of those who come after him. Of course, photography will also be a major part of his life's journey.
The USS Coral Sea in route to the Hawaiian islands , during Hurricane Iwa 1982
The ship offered coal fired power; converted to emergency electrical support
photo by PH2 Malkiewicz