Model Calls His Cancer 'a Blessing'
Model, Angolan national says cancer gave his life perspective
By LI JING
Updated 11:30 PM EST, Wed, Mar 11, 2009
Paulo Pascoal is a stunning model, actor and singer living a dream in Chelsea.
The 25-year-old Angolan came to New York last summer to pursue his dream to be an actor. He has released albums and has been featured on magazine covers.
While he thought he was approaching his dream, a nightmare had started just months after his arrival.
He collapsed one day and learned that he had a brain tumor.
In two months, it became cancer.
It’s probably the worst news for an aspiring artist with no family here.
However, Paulo kept smiling and staying positive.
He went through a painful process of radiation and chemotherapy and losing his hair, eyebrows, but he also discovered many valuable lessons.
Paulo said, “99 percent of the disease, especially in America, was caused by stress and I was very stressful…Cancer came as a blessing…I constantly gave too much importance to things that I shouldn’t.”
Now undergoing chemotherapy and with money running out, Paulo is keeping his hope up and used a phrase from President Obama “YES, WE CAN!”
Paulo hopes he doesn’t have to resort to surgery and he wants to record more music as soon as he recovers.
His website is http://www.myspace.com/paulopascoal
First Published: Mar 11, 2009 7:00 PM EST
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