Luis Gómez has succumbed to cancer after battling the illness for a year and a half. He was 40.
An Emmy award-winning anchor and reporter for Univision New York since 2014, Gómez was diagnosed with testicular cancer in late 2017, which metastasized to his lungs and liver.
Despite the grim prognosis, Gómez was determined not to give in to the illness and remained optimistic until the very end. Even though his health had significantly deteriorated, he continued to work. His last day on the air was March 25.
“I went to work until they day I no longer could,” he said in a final message to his audience that aired on Univision days ago. “My commitment to the audience was always honest and transparent. Sometimes I tried to make them laugh, even when I couldn’t bear the pain.”
During that message, Gómez stated there were no more medical treatments he could pursue. “I’m at peace, surrounded by love and family,” he shared.
He died on Saturday, April 6.
Gómez documented his battle with cancer in a series titled “Corazón de Guerrero,” with the goal to raise awareness about the disease. He became an advocate for cancer prevention in the Hispanic community.
“Throughout this time, and in his life, Luis touched many lives. Despite the ups and downs in his struggle of more than a year and a half, he never lost his sense of humor, his willingness to help others and his dedication to the work he loved so much,” Univision 41 expressed in an article about his passing.
Gómez was born in Mexico, where he started his journalism career as a documentary producer. He later worked as a writer, editor and multimedia anchor for Grupo Reforma before moving to the United States to join Univision Austin as a reporter and anchor in 2006. He moved to Houston five years later to become a reporter and morning anchor, before joining Univision New York.