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Tribute to Michael Cuccione
By Christine Chan
Michael Cuccione
January 5, 1985-January 13, 2001
In loving memory of a person who gave so much and died too soon . . .
Michael Cuccione, best known for his role of "Q.T." in the hit series "2Gether," was an inspiration to us all.
At the age of nine, Mike was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease (a form of cancer). His amazing perseverance drove him to fight the disease and endure long months of chemotherapy. Especially since he was so young, these times were undoubtedly rough for him, but despite his own troubles, Michael wrote songs and founded the Michael Cuccione Foundation to raise money for others who were going through what he knew so well. Mike showed all kinds of simple, selfless acts of kindness that proved his genuine compassion for all people.
Mike's passing has opened my eyes to many things. But the hardest thing I've had to accept is that no one is immortal. It's quite a scary thought, but, from Michael's example, I've also learned something very valuable. He taught me that in a short time, you can truly make a difference and impact peoples' lives in so many ways. In the sixteen years that Mike lived, he raised a half of a million dollars for cancer research, and brightened far more than half a million lives. Mike was such a positive person, that I know that he would want us to bring new life from his death, and make an effort to reach out to the needs of others. Hopefully, we can all fallow his example and unite to change the world. Always remember Mike's words: "Together we can make a difference!"
Mike brought us all so much happiness through his many talents. Although he was only on this Earth for a short time, he fully achieved his life's mission: "to make a difference." His charismatic personality brought joy to everyone he came in contact with (and even those who didn't get the chance to meet him in person!). His genuine kindness inspired us to be better people, and his suffering made us courageous in the face of hardships. Mike may have passed from this Earth, but I know his spirit will continue to live in our hearts forever.
(If you'd like to share your feelings about Michael with Christine, drop her a line at christinechan@teenmag.com.)
Okay I thought this was an awesome article even though Micheal was still alive in it... and the end is REALLY sad. It's not true... :,(
June 17, 2000
TV Guide p. 30-32
By Janet Weeks
At 15, Michael Cuccione of MTV's 2gether has battled illness in life and on-screen and wats fans to know: surrender is not an option
Stacked beneath the telivision in Michael Cuccione's comfortable Cancouver family home are two very different video tapes. The first is 2gether, MTV's hit boy-band mockumentary featuring the 15-year-old Cuccione as Jason "QT" McKnight, a karoke-bar singer asked to join a musical group called 2gether because his terminal illness makes him irresistable to girls. When QT faints onstage one night, his manager smiles. "He's suffering from bilary thrombosis," the manager says. "That is what we in the business call a publicity bonanza." The February 21 TV-movie is being spun off into a series beginning August 15.
As for the other tape, it isn't funny at all. There's Michael five years agho, wan and bald in a hospital bed, fighting cancer for real. The tape chronicles his treatment, from chemotherpy to radiation and finally a painful stemcell infusion (similiar to a bone-marrow transplant). At the end, Michael, in recovery, speaks into the camera about the need for cancer research.
The sick little boy in tpae No. 2 bears little resemblance to the teen sitting here, in his kitchen, snacking on cinamon toast. A much better likeness can be seen in the nearby framed photo of a happy Cuccione, along with his 2gether bandmate Noah Bastian, arm-in-arm with Britney Spears. "She's hot!" says Michael, who sounds like any other teen and who, despite his new found fame, does not have a girlfriend. That's not to say he's lacking female fans: Spears herself invited Michael and his made-for-MTV band to be the opening act on her summer tour (Negotiations are underway).
Almost siz years ago, life wasnt so smooth for Cuccione. On July 25, 1994, 9-year-old Michael was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Doctors found lumps on his coollarbone, one the size of a golf ball. HIs chances of recovery were good- Hodgkin's is one of the most treatable cancers. The disease went into remission after six months of chemotherapy but then returned. "I went from a 90 percent chance of making it to a 20 percent chance," he says.
During his hospital stay, Michael asked his parents- Domenic, who operates a Burger King franchise, and Gloria, who retired from selling women's clothing when Michael became ill- to rbing him his electronic keyboard. He had been taking dance, voice and piano lessons for years, but even his mom and dad were surprised when he began composing music in the hospital. Michael told his parents he wanted to record a CD to raise money for cancer research. When he had written 5 songs, his folks put up \$20,000. Several companies (including Burger King) offered to market the CD, Make A Difference, in theur stores and restuarants; local newspapers and TV stations reported on Michael's efforts, and by 1996 the Michael Cuccione Foundation was off and running. SO far, the organization has raised more than $300,000.
"To find a cure for cancer that isn't worse than the disease iteself- that's my goal." says Cuccione. In addition to the CD, he's written and self-published a book, There Are Survivors, with his grandmother, retired elementary school teacher Jane MacSporran, about the cancer experience; all profits go to his foundation. Both Cuccione and MacSporran kept journals throughout the family's ordeal.
Despite his local renown, MTV producers were unawarre of Cuccione's past heath problems when they hired him. "I had absolutely no knowledge of it," says Brian Graden, MTV"s president of programming. Today, when the question inevitably is put to Cuccione about how a cancer survivor can joke about terminal illness in a TV-movie, he is ready with the answer. "The most important thing is to be able to go through something difficult and come out with a positive attitude," he says. "You have to make light of every situation. It makes it easier in the long run." But even Cuccione's father admits that the family (including Micahel's sister, Sophia, 17, and brother Steven, 11) would not have wanted Michael to appear in 2gether if the character had cancer. "This disease is make-believe," Domenic says about the fictional illness. "This was easy."
Not so easy is Michael's annual post-cancer cheup. This year's visit, in July, will be his fifth. Says Domenic: "There's never a day that goes by that I don't worry. If the big C was to come back...
His voice trails off, and Michael is quick to jump in. "
I'm here," he says, "to stay."
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