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Sports - High School
Remembering Chris Gelinas - The Kid Who Inspired Kobe Bryant
Posted: Feb 18, 2013 11:20 PM by Tyler Garrett - tgarrett@kristv.com
Updated: Feb 18, 2013 11:21 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - Early Monday morning 16-year old Tuloso-Midway student Chris Gelinas's three year battle with cancer came to an end, at his parent's home with his family by his side. Gelinas had been diagnosed with Epitheliod Sarcoma, back in 2009, but was never able to overcome it.
His father Gary told me, "I honestly felt the floor drop out from underneath me the air was sucked out of the room when the doctors told us he had cancer, Chris was shocked, he cried and I cried and he turned around and said what do we need to do?"
You might remember back in December we helped make Chris's dying dream come true, by reaching out to his idol Kobe Bryant who sent him a personal video message. His father Gary told me, his family had been talking about that moment all afternoon while remembering their best times with Chris.
"When your first story was all done and you left the house and I sat down, I said Chris wow that's something special the greatest ball player in the world is talking to you and Chris's response was his typical response and he said well why wouldn't he and I said yeah why wouldn't he," said Gelinas.
Every person I have spoken with said the same thing about Gelinas. They called him inspiring, with a heart filled by kindness. Despite fighting for his life, and dealing with never ending pain, he never complained, not once. He just carried on.
"I remember the last thing Chris said to me, I was walking into the kitchen to get his medicine and I came by his bed and he said dad we don't have to be afraid to go its okay... It hurt me, but also it made me feel good he wasn't scared he knew where he was going in his heart," said Gelinas.
His journey has turned into a story of inspiration, as his former teammates dedicated their basketball season to him. Not too mention, thousands from across the Coastal Bend taking to Twitter in hopes of reaching Laker star Kobe Bryant.
Click this link to hear Kobe's Message.
Now before I left the Gelinas house, Chris's dad had one final message for his son.
"Chris you are a complete to joy to me you have been a pleasure and I will love you from now till the end of time you're a treasure and I love you, I love you forever," he said.
Click the video for the very emotional tribute.
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