Comedian Stricken With Mesothelioma Sees His Dream Come True

August 2, 2016  |  Mesothelioma

Quincy Jones is in the fight of his life against a terrible disease known as mesothelioma, but he hasn’t let his illness keep him from chasing his dream. The 32-year-old comedian recently saw that dream come true when HBO aired his comedy special, “Quincy Jones: Burning the Light,” on June 2.

He recently sat down to be interviewed by Entertainment Weekly, talking about his battle with the disease and how he did not let it stop him from pursuing his career.

A Hard Road

Jones said he went to the doctor after his stomach had gradually filled with fluid. After about seven months of testing, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in August 2015 and given a year to live. He said he was desperate to survive and immediately went to work fighting the disease, changing his diet and starting chemotherapy treatment.

His laser-like focus on his comedy special became even more intense after the diagnosis. He created a Kickstarter page in order to raise funds to produce the special, and when Ellen DeGeneres heard about it she invited him to appear on her show. When he returned to the show in March, DeGeneres surprised him by announcing HBO would air his special.

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While you would assume mesothelioma would comprise most of Jones’ material, he said he rarely acknowledges the disease. He has to live with it every day, but chooses to focus on other things when he is on stage.

At Baron & Budd, we applaud Jones and others like him with mesothelioma who fight tenaciously and refuse to be defined by their disease. For nearly 40 years, we have helped people with mesothelioma by representing them in lawsuits against the asbestos manufacturers responsible for their diagnosis. If you would like to learn more about how we may be able to help you or someone close to you who has this disease, contact us online or call 855-280-7664.

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