When he started to get sick, his parents Juana Altagracia Nuñez Taveras and  Genaro A. Capellan barely understood what was happening with their little Alexander. He had contracted rhabdomyosarcoma. 

David was evaluated by the Department of Rheumatology and then referred to the Department of Hematology, where he was diagnosed with Burkitt non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in May 2003.