Like so many young people today, Seshu Kandukuri documented his life on his Facebook page.
Today, that page was transformed into a celebration of his life.
Loved ones touched by his strength and determination remembered a young man who never lost his sense of humor and his spirit despite a tough battle with a merciless disease.
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The 2011graduate died today after a long, tough fight with cancer.
“He was always a very strong kid. Through everything he went through, he stayed the exact same person,’’ classmate Dan Graham remembered today. “We just assumed he would beat it because he was so strong.’’
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Seshu was a popular kid, Graham remembered, who was “funny, and cheerful all the time.’’ He handled the illness with grace and determination.
When he returned to school after a time away, his hair lost from treatments, “it didn’t faze him.”
His friends were jolted by the diagnosis of cancer, made after pains in his back turned out to be caused by tumors.
“We were just shocked,’’ he said. “I had never encountered anyone with cancer before. It was scary.’’
His classmates stood as one behind him, selling bracelets and hosting a walk that raised money for his family. His classmates collected donations for a laptop so Seshu could stay in touch while he was at the hospital.
They also surprised him on his birthday in the cafeteria with a gift of several thousand dollars. “His father was moved to tears,’’ Graham remembered. That gift helped defray the little costs _ parking, meals and the like _ that can add up when a family is coping with an illness.
It was also a way to show their love for Seshu and their appreciation for his family. His dad, Graham remembered, would happily drive Seshu’s friends to the hospital and would never accept money for gas.
“I was pretty proud of my class,’’ Graham said.
And today, on his Facebook page, his class unites again in grief. “Your suffering is over Seshu,’’ one person wrote. “Fly high with the angels.’’
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