By Your Side
Page 26
To Michelle Craven, the queen of acupuncture! Not only are you the best acupuncturist in Australia, but also a great friend. Highly recommended, guys.
To Mr Batman, Mr Hughes, Mr Robards, Mr Zulian and Miss Upton (Kelly), you guys nurtured me into the man I am today. You’ve all had a remarkable impact on my life and my perspective on the world. Thank you.
To Jenny Allen, the most patient principal you’ll ever meet. And to Mr Piatek, for the great work you continue to do at Corpus Christi and for supporting the You Can message.
To Father Honorio, for being so instrumental in getting me through my cousin Mitchel’s passing. Thank you for always offering your time to talk to me.
To Antoinette, for making me believe I wasn’t so crazy after all.
To Lauren, Hayden and Sash, from Sony Music, the best film crew in Australia! I’m so glad I got to share the experience of filming with you guys. It was truly an honour.
To Mark Llewellyn, for supporting the vision.
Four-year-old me.
Cass at age five.
My sister, Melissa (aged ten), and me (aged six).
Carrasco Christmas, 2006.
Carrasco FC at FIFA Fan Fest 2010 with our superstar goalie, my cousin Mitchel, in the middle wearing the hat.
I was 16 when I had Bell’s palsy. I took this photo on my friend’s laptop and made him delete it, only for him to send it back to me a couple of months later.
At my sister Mel’s 21st birthday celebration. From left to right: me, Mum, Adam, Mel and Dad.
Dad and me at my Year 12 formal.
Me and my mates, Kondi and Tomic.
Scaz, me and Adrian.
Bald!
My soccer comeback before the big RPLND op. Cass made sure she watched every game to see my big shiny head.
Nineteen and struggling. I couldn’t walk upright for months, but all my thoughts were with Cass and wanting her to get better.
Cass used to make me wear wigs to help pass the time in hospital. She showed this photo whenever she introduced me to her doctors and friends.
As long as I had Cass by my side I knew everything was going to be alright.
I loved Cass’s warm hugs more than anything during treatment.
Reunited. When Cass first came to my house she took this photo and made it her screensaver. It was the nicest gesture anyone’s ever done for me.
Cass and me, when we discovered our special place close to where I live in Shellharbour.
My 20th birthday. I wrote on my Facebook wall I wouldn’t want to spend the day with anyone else.
Celebrating being one year cancer-free!
Cass on the ’roids! She said she’d bash me if I got out of line.
It was my turn to hold Cass’s hand. And I never wanted to let go.
Cass just before she had litres of fluid drained out of her brain.
Cass with her mum, Gloria.
Cass and I couldn’t stop laughing during filming. We loved paying each other out when one of us stuffed up!
Cass making me try her juice during filming! Not a fan.
Cass and me at our special place in Shellharbour.
Appreciating the view from our favourite spot.
At the 2013 Sony Foundation sponsors’ event, where Cass delivered her amazing speech. When she finished I ran up and hugged and kissed her in front of everyone because I was so proud.
With the ever-so-beautiful Sally Obermeder, who was a hero to both Cass and me.
Cass during her last few days with our friend Kirsty. They dressed me up and painted my nails.
Jas and Cass – classic selfie.
Me and Gloria at the Barnardos Mother of the Year ceremony.
Gloria wins 2014 Barnardos Mother of the Year!
(PHOTO: MAGDALENA PHOTOGRAPHY)
Team Gloria with her husband, Joe, daughter, Andrea, and grandson, baby Jack.
(PHOTO: MAGDALENA PHOTOGRAPHY)
Gloria talks about her wonderful daughter on national TV. She went on just about every show you could think of!
Meeting my idol, Chris Reason. I really looked up to him when I was undergoing treatment and I still do today!
At the Wharf4Ward 2013, being interviewed by presenter Peter Overton. Dad, in tears, came running to hug me straight after my speech.
At the first You Can Walk 4 Cass event in 2014. It was an emotional day for everyone. We were grateful for the community support and hope to have it again in the near future!
(PHOTO: GREG TOTMAN/FAIRFAX SYNDICATION)
Me with Christine (middle) and her sister, Ana (left).
Yes, that is a Ferrari. And yes, I got a bit excited. Ferrari made me feel like I was a part of their family and I’ll never forget their generosity.
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Version 1.0
By Your Side: A True Story of Courage, Love and Loss
9780857989581
Published by Ebury Press in 2016
Copyright © Jason Carrasco 2016
The moral right of the authors has been asserted.
An Ebury Press book
Published by Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd
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www.penguin.com.au
Addresses for the Penguin Random House group of companies can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com/offices
First published by Ebury Press in 2016
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication Entry
Author: Carrasco, Jason
Title: By your side: a true story of courage, love and loss [electronic resource]
ISBN: 978 0 85798 958 1 (ebook)
Cover design by Christabella Designs
Cover image courtesy of Jason Carrasco
Internal images courtesy of Jason Carrasco unless otherwise stated
Ebook by Firstsource
Extract in Chapter Four from LOVE (SPECIAL EDITION) by Leo Buscaglia, copyright © 1982 by Leo Buscaglia. Reprinted with permission from SLACK Incorporated.
Extract in Chapter Seven from THE FORTY RULES OF LOVE by Elif Shafak, copyright © 2010 by Elif Shafak. Used by permission of Viking Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
Extract in Chapter Fourteen from MAN’S SEARCH OF MEANING (2000) by Viktor Frankl has been reproduced with kind permission from Beacon Press.
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