Stephen Rossetti is not a stranger to the Las Vegas strip.
For years, the Wilmington native enjoyed trips with family and friends.
“There’s a lot to do out there, it’s the shows and stuff,” Rossetti said. “But mainly it’s just to be with my family.”
Three years ago, Rossetti was diagnosed with stage four renal cell carcinoma. He was given less than a year to live.
Rossetti’s trips to Vegas were put on pause.
“Stephen and I just kind of got along right away and he’s had a lot of financial toxicity as a direct result of his cancer,” Erin Jewell said, Oncology Social Worker at Beth Israel Deaconess Center at Winchester Center for Cancer Care.
Jewell came up with an idea.
“So one of his ideas was a family reunion trip to Las Vegas and I said, ‘You know what, we might be able to make that happen,’” Jewell said.
With the help of the Dream Foundation, a nonprofit group that grants end of life dreams to those in need, Rossetti is heading back to Vegas for an all expenses paid trip.
“He’s just always been the best dad, he’s always there for me so I’m glad he can do something for himself,” Alyssa Rossetti said, Stephen’s daughter.
“It’s stage four, there’s always gonna be treatment, it’s not going to go away,” Rossetti said. “Eventually, the tumors will grow again, but I want to enjoy it while I can.”
With his bags packed, Rossetti is betting on exciting memories ahead, and the odds are in his favor.
“When big, have a great time, enjoy every minute, and I hope it’s everything he dreamed of,” Jewell said.
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