Stories from the Band

My father, José, passed away in 2011 from cirrhosis of the liver. It was the result of a complication from having chronic hepatitis C infection that went untreated. Although he had been diagnosed for years, he never gave his chronic hepatitis C the attention it required and did not follow up with his doctor promptly. He didn't tell me about his diagnosis for more than a decade. My father did not understand the potential consequences of chronic hepatitis C and it cost him, and our family, dearly.

I wish I could have done more to help my father, and I wish I had known more about the disease. That's why I'm sharing my family's personal story with others.

I believe my father was living with chronic hepatitis C as far back as the 1970s when he left Cuba. He periodically had health issues, but didn't get diagnosed until the 1980s. He never really dealt with the fact that he was living with this potentially serious disease and he waited too long to do something about it.

I don't know how my father contracted chronic hepatitis C, and I'm not sure if he knew either. There are many ways he could have gotten the disease, but the truth is, it doesn't really matter how he got it. What matters is that he wanted me to share his story and encourage others to take action sooner.

I wish my father had told me sooner and that I had known more about the disease to encourage him to take action.

No matter how strong you are, no one should feel they are alone with this disease. At the time, if I had really understood how serious chronic hepatitis C could be, I would have fought harder to get my father to seek help. It's too late to help him, but it's not too late to help someone else.

I talked to my father about joining this public awareness campaign and he wanted me to get this message out. Our message to anyone living with chronic hepatitis C is this: Don't wait to take action. Talk to your doctor so you know your options. Talk to your family because they want to be there for you. And, if you know someone living with chronic hepatitis C, urge them to talk to a doctor or healthcare provider.

My father took great pride in providing for his family, but I've learned through this experience that the best way to provide for your family is to take care of yourself and your health. Chronic hepatitis C will not go away on its own, so don't wait another day to find out what you can do about it.