Superheroes tend to live double lives. They often fight for justice while wearing masks, and when their work is done live a life unknown to the public.
Southfield-based attorney Clarence Dass knows that lifestyle. He worked around-the-clock on immigration cases that gained plenty of media attention while keeping a big secret — he had stage 4 colon cancer.
When Dass first learned he had cancer in April 2017, he had just started his own law firm and began dating a woman who is now his wife.
“There were major things happening in my life,” Dass said. “It’s never a good time to get sick, but it definitely was not a good time in my life (to be diagnosed with cancer).”
Dass said he was “shocked” and had trouble processing the life-changing news, as he was 31-years-old with no history of cancer in his family.
Despite his diagnosis, Dass continued his duties as an attorney. At the time, he was defending Iraqi immigrants living in Michigan who were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in one of the biggest such sweeps in memory. There were 114 Iraqis arrested and facing potential deportation in the state last summer, and the situation drew international press coverage.
“I would wake up and go to court from 8:30 a.m. to noon, go back to my office to take a nap and then go back to court,” he said.
In addition to working on cases within 24 hours of receiving chemotherapy, Dass would do live media interviews while connected to an off-camera IV, he said.
“I was running my law firm from my hospital bed,” said Dass.
Dass said withholding his diagnosis from the public and his colleagues became “awfully frustrating” at times, but he felt it was important because “people tend to view cancer as a weakness or a disability.”
“I knew that if I shared it at the time, it would detract from what I was trying to achieve, which was helping people and running a law firm,” he said. “I was always able to get the job done but instead of 100 percent of my effort, it took 200 percent.”
Although Dass said there were days he could not move or get out of bed due to debilitating pain and fatigue, he never considered giving up.
“If I stopped working, my clients, many of whom had major issues, wouldn’t get the help they needed,” Dass said. “I knew that if I gave up, I would start to dwell on that and just get sicker. I had to keep pushing through and had to make sure I was helping other people because that’s the only way I could help myself.”
In January, after six months of chemotherapy, five weeks of radiation and one surgery, Dass officially beat stage 4 colon cancer — a disease with a 12 percent five-year relative survivor rate, according to the American Cancer Society.
“Knowing that this whole chapter is coming to an end and the next step is healing and getting things back to normal is the biggest sigh of relief I could ever experience,” Dass said.
Saturday, Dass celebrated his 33rd birthday with his wife, Renee Dass.
Dass's wife provided "tons of support" throughout his battle with cancer, and he "couldn't have gotten through the process without her," he said.
"On our second date, I had just learned a couple days prior that I had cancer. I sat her down in the lobby of the restaurant we were at and I told her there was something I needed to share. She thought it could have been anything but what I told her," Dass said. "With no hesitation, she looked at me and said 'whatever needs to be done, let’s get it done.'
"I knew from that moment that I was going to marry this woman."
Renee Dass said that because of her experience, she wasn't distraught from the news.
"My mother had cancer, and I was a med student at the time, so I knew of the variety of treatment options available," she said.
Renee Dass said her now-husband gave her "an out."
"He told me 'you don't have to do this,'" she said. "But we had a strong connection, and he was way too special for me to do that."
Jessica Cash, 35, of New Hudson talks with a group of friends who ran to support her in the 2018 Detroit Undy RunWalk on the Detroit Riverwalk on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Cash was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2015. (Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press)
Perfect Timing
In an astonishing coincidence, as Dass observed an incredibly special birthday Saturday, the 2018 Detroit Undy RunWalk — which seeks to raise awareness about the disease Dass suffered from — graced the city's RiverWalk.
Survivors, patients and their families and caregivers congregated and ran together to raise awareness about colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death, according to Undy RunWalk's website.
Although the temperature dropped that morning as compared to the summer-like weather earlier this week, the warmth of loved ones and strangers coming together, running in underwear for a common cause overcame any cold air.
New Hudson resident Jessica Cash, 35, was running at the event decked out in superhero gear despite undergoing treatment for stage 4 rectal cancer.
"How do I do it? I'm superwoman," said Cash, who raised over $2,000 for colorectal cancer. "Running makes me feel better. It's detoxifying."
Cash said she thought she "was going to die tomorrow" when she first heard of her diagnosis, as she had limited knowledge on the disease at the time.
She said she asked herself "How did this happen?" over and over again.
"I lived a healthy lifestyle," Cash said. "I ran all the time and did everything right. It goes to show that this cancer can affect anyone."
It's crucial to talk about the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer, in addition to the importance of screening regardless of age, Cash said. Additionally, as a patient, surrounding yourself with people who understand what you're going through goes a long way, she said.
"I know it sounds crazy, but it's been an amazing journey and I've met so many people in the last few years," Cash said.
Dass, who celebrated his birthday with his wife on Mackinac Island, posted the story of his cancer battle to Facebook on Sept. 17.
"I am not involved with the RunWalk this weekend, but my plan now that I have revealed this chapter of my life is to become involved with cancer organizations and hopefully help others find hope," he said in an email.
Participants cross the starting line at the 2018 Detroit Undy RunWalk on the Detroit Riverwalk on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. (Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press)
'First run without her'
Since 2014, Woodhaven resident Mary Cassett, 44, has been running in support of her friend, April, who suffered from colorectal cancer.
April died in February, and this is Cassett's first run without her friend.
"I think I cried the last mile," Cassett said. "I will continue to come out to this event and support the cause. The money goes to research, awareness and screenings which is so important."
"I keep fighting," Cash said. "Each day is one day closer to a cure and that gives me hope."
Contact reporter Omar Abdel-Baqui: oabdel-baqui@freepress.com or 313-222-2251. Follow him on Twitter @omarabdelb
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