Founding Death Angel Bassist Dennis Pepa Battling Stage 4 Cancer
The bassist opened a GoFundMe to help cover medical costs and living expenses for himself and his family. Founding Death Angel Bassist Dennis Pepa Battling Stage 4 Cancer Langdon Hickman
Founding Death Angel bassist Dennis Pepa has revealed he is currently battling stage four duodenal cancer. A GoFundMe has been launched to help the veteran metal musician with the costs associated with battling the rare small intestine disease.
The 59-year-old Pepa provided a lengthy statement on his GoFundMe regarding his struggle with the disease and the burden it places on his family as well as his desire to seek an experimental treatment at a center in Mexico.
He described the treatment by writing, “I’m asking for help to pursue treatment at the Immunocine Cancer Center in Mexico and support my family through the months ahead. I’ve been researching the Center, and it offers something called dendritic cell immunotherapy, which uses a patient’s own immune cells and tumor material to prepare a personalized treatment. The aim, as the Center explains it, is to help the immune system recognize and attack the cancer in the best possible way, based on your unique body.”
His plea ultimately focused on his family. Regarding the toll on them, he said, “I want to carry on watching my sons Maddox (22) and Roman (19) grow and build lives of their own. And I want to be beside them, helping them to continue becoming strong, compassionate men. I want to marry my fiancé, Gemalyn, and continue being present for the people I love most. As a family we have so many plans, so many memories to create, and so many special moments ahead of us.”
The members of Death Angel shared the link, adding their own statement:
Please help our brother, friend, cousin, and founding member of Death Angel, Dennis Pepa, in his fight against cancer. He really needs the Metal community and beyond to come together and show their support in unity, as one of our own, that helped define this genre’s sound and attitude, as he fights this battle. Any little bit helps more than you know, including your positive energy, thoughts, and prayers.
Let’s show Dennis he’s not alone fighting this battle. He has this whole amazing and tenacious Metal community by his side every step of the way!
Dennis Pepa was a founding member of Death Angel alongside guitarists Rob Cavestany and Gus Pepa, and drummer Andy Galeon. In addition to playing bass, Pepa briefly led the band as lead vocalist prior to the recruitment of Mark Osegueda in 1984.
The bassist was a member of Death Angel from their 1982 inception through their 1991 breakup, and again from their 2001 reunion through 2008, when he decided to part ways with the band.
At the time of posting, the GoFundMe campaign has raised $32,000 in a show of communal support for the thrash legend.
