J.J. Felici, a motorcyclist from Desert Wind Harley-Davidson in Mesa, at left, and Richard Torba, patient at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa.
Contact:Corey.schubert@bannerhealth.com
MESA, Arizona (Aug. 31, 2017) Cancer patient Richard Torba celebrated his 60th birthday on Thursday, Aug. 31 with the fulfillment of one of his final wishes -- being part of a motorcycle procession that took place at the Banner Desert Medical Center campus in Mesa.
Nurses often take Torba to a shady area outside the hospital for a breath of fresh air in the afternoons. This time, he was surprised by several dozen motorcyclists from across the Valley, along with his family and many medical staff members who are treating him.
“I spent over 300 days in this hospital in the last five years,” Torba said. “I’ve been treated with nothing but love and respect. If I didn’t have to go through certain things, I’d almost do it again to meet these people.”
Some of the cyclists waved at Torba during their loop around the hospital campus parking lot and roadway. Others came over to give him a hug and shake his hand. His family and friends wore shirts with the logo, “Torba Strong.”
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