‘It’s Just Us’: The Firefighter, His Son and a Treacherous Choice
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Luis Martinez, a former wildfire firefighter, is grappling with the possibility that his cancer may have returned while trying to support his 11-year-old son, Rooney.
- Rooney's soccer coach called Luis to ask if he could drive Rooney to a tournament in Seattle, three hours away, due to a last-minute team dropout.
- Despite his health challenges and vision impairment from cancer treatment, Luis is considering the opportunity for Rooney to compete against top state players.
- The coach reached out by phone rather than text, knowing Luis has difficulty reading messages because of his damaged eyesight.
- Luis faces the emotional struggle of balancing his own health concerns with wanting to keep his son safe and support his athletic pursuits.
