the statement read. <\/b><\/a>\u201cAnyone with the pleasure of being in Raul\u2019s orbit knew that he was a force of human nature, with an infectious energy. Over a career of more than three decades entertaining millions around the globe, his towering creative contributions and unrivaled, generational talent created the kind of multicultural American music reaching far beyond America itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cThough his earthly body may have passed, Raul\u2019s spirit will live on forever in heaven, and here on earth through the music, joy, and light he brought forth,\u201d the statement added. \u201cHis contributions to American and Latin music will be everlasting, as his songs and voice touched fans and fellow artists around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malo announced last year that he had stage 4 colon cancer, and he shared his battle against the disease openly with fans. And, at times this year, it was a disease he appeared poised to put behind him, but in September he made the heartbreaking announcement that he had been diagnosed with leptomeningeal disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cDear Friends, I want to update you all on my health, as things have taken a turn,\u201d he wrote on Facebook. \u201cAs it goes with cancer, it\u2019s a very unpredictable and indiscriminatory disease. I\u2019ve developed something called LMD, which stands for \u2018get this (expletive) out of my head.\u2019 Treatment for this is radiation, which I will start tomorrow. We will probably jump into some chemo and are even looking at alternative therapies. But it\u2019s time to take to heart your words of resting & recovering, so that\u2019s what I\u2019m going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the Cleveland Clinic<\/b><\/a>,<\/b> leptomeningeal disease is cancer in the cerebrospinal fluid and leptomeninges, which are membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. There is no cure for the disease. Instead, doctors focus on trying to slow the disease from spreading while maintaining the patient\u2019s quality of life. <\/p>\nDespite the ominous diagnosis, Malo continued to fight, and in November he headed to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas for treatment. But last Thursday his wife, Betty Malo, announced that he had to be rushed to the hospital. He sadly was never able to recover.<\/p>\n
The singer is survived by Betty, sons Dino, Victor and Max, his mother, Norma and sister Carol. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n