I met Daniel Martinez several years ago when I was rounding a corner in downtown Santa Fe and spotted this beautiful man coming towards me –ambling like a slow-motion scene in a movie. He was dressed to the nines – black cowboy hat, fringed jacket, leather pants, turquoise jewelry and stunning boots…not to mention his long, flowing grey/silver hair, perfect goatee and mustache. I was looking at him and he was looking at me and we realized that we were friends on FACEBOOK, but had never met.
Thus began my deep friendship with this remarkably-talented and memorable guy.
A native of Santa Fe, Daniel’s family was integral to the fabric and history of this amazing place. If you drive up Canyon Road – famed for its legions of art galleries – Daniel will point out his Grandmother’s house – now the famed NATAHLIE’S BOUTIQUE. If you go for dinner at the elegant La Posada Hotel’s Restaurant – JULIA – and see her full-length portrait at the top of the stairs – Daniel will mention that Julia Staab was his great, great, grandmother, who is rumored to delightfully-haunt La Posada.
But Daniel has forged his own, very colorful and creative life in Santa Fe. Artist, graphic designer, book designer, collector, actor, storyteller, jazz aficionado, animal advocate, musician - guitar & piano, great cook and photographic muse, …and the list goes on.
Anyone who meets Daniel, immediately falls under the spell of his magical, sweet, generous spirit, including his menagerie of animals – three rescue dogs, two macaws, his Koi, pet bullfrog and turtle – residing in the two ponds in his backyard.
IN NOVEMBER – Daniel had an MRI to determine the cause of his chronic back pain. That was followed by a CAT scan and a biopsy and the diagnosis of Stag 4 MESOTHELIOMA. In Daniel’s case the tissue surrounding his lung was cancerous making it hard for him to breath and causing intense pain. He’s now taking a cocktail of drugs and starting chemotherapy in a few days… It goes without saying that Daniel and his family of friends are stunned by the diagnosis and the possibility of losing their beloved friend…
If you are reading this and would like to leave a personal message for Daniel, please register for this wonderful site, and let him know what he means to you. He would love that. If you would like to do more, we just created a GO-FUND-ME campaign for Daniel to help with medical expenses.. And we will be posting other ways that you can help Daniel thru the next weeks and months of his journey.
CaringBridge is a nonprofit social network dedicated to helping family and friends communicate with and support loved ones during a health journey. Learn more about CaringBridge.
