Health
Cancer nearly took his leg, but this father of 6 is walking again: ‘I shouldn’t be here’
For one New York father of six who overcame the odds, this Father’s Day will be sweeter than most.
Richard Monti, a real estate developer who lives on Long Island, recently faced certain amputation after a life-threatening infection — until a determined doctor saved his leg with a complex surgery.
When Monti was diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer in 2018, he thought that would be his toughest battle.
MELANOMA PATIENTS REVEAL DRAMATIC STORIES FOR SKIN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH: ‘I THOUGHT I WAS CAREFUL’
But after having surgery last year to repair his fractured upper shin bone — which had been damaged by years of cancer and radiation therapy — Monti developed sepsis, which threatened both life and limb.
Richard Monti, a real estate developer on Long Island, recently faced certain amputation after a life-threatening infection. A determined doctor was able to save his leg with a complex surgery. (Richard Monti)
It is relatively common for cancer patients to experience these types of fractures, according to Dr. Nicola Fabbri, chief of the Division of Orthopedic Oncology at NYU Langone Orthopedics, who treated Monti.
“When cancer is metastatic and goes to the bone, fractures do occur — it’s actually the main complication,” Fabbri told Fox News Digital in an interview.
“Probably 50% of people who develop bone metastases develop fractures.”
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While he was intubated and in a coma for several weeks, Monti underwent six surgeries to clean out the infection and try to restore his bones.
“They told my wife she should get prepared,” he told Fox News Digital in an interview. “They didn’t expect me to make it.”
Monti did pull through — but when he woke up, doctors delivered even more devastating news.
Richard Monti, center, is pictured with his family, who helped him get through his long ordeal. “I’m really living a normal life now,” he said. (Richard Monti)
“I was given basically one option, and that was amputation,” Monti, now 64, said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
The news sent Monti, who thrives on working on his feet, into a “very, very dark place.”
He said, “At that point, I was probably at my lowest. When my body moves, my mind moves. Losing that leg — I thought that was the way my story would end.”
“I was given basically one option, and that was amputation.”
Monti sought a second opinion from Dr. Fabbri of NYU Langone Orthopedics, who was highly recommended.
“When I met him, I loved what he said — ‘We don’t just cut legs off,’” Monti recalled.
After many tests and scans, the doctor told Monti he was “going back to the drawing board,” a nod to Monti’s building background.
“My wife and I started crying and smiling,” Monti recalled.
Dr. Nicola Fabbri, chief of the Division of Orthopedic Oncology at NYU Langone Orthopedics, was determined to save Monti’s leg. (Dr. Nicola Fabbri)
The doctor said he was hoping that given time, Monti’s sepsis would resolve, and his soft tissue would recover enough for a successful reconstruction surgery.
Monti’s case was complicated. He was dealing with an unhealed fracture of the upper part of his tibia, tissue damage from the sepsis infection, and significant bone loss and weakness from the radiation treatment for his cancer.
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“The sepsis was probably linked to being immunocompromised due to his cancer treatment,” Fabbri told Fox News Digital.
‘Performed miracles’
After Monti had some time to heal, he was deemed ready for surgery.
After 15 months of being in a brace and on crutches, Monti underwent a limb-preserving surgery consisting of a complex knee and tibia reconstruction.
While placing a new knee implant, Fabbri was able to correct the severe deformity caused by the fracture.
During the 11-hour surgery, which took place on Oct. 17 of 2023, the doctor also removed damaged parts of the tibia and replaced them with metal implants.
“That doctor and his team did perform miracles in my eyes,” Monti said of the surgery that saved his leg. (Richard Monti)
Now, Monti is pain-free, back to work — and able to walk without a cane or crutches.
“That doctor and his team did perform miracles in my eyes,” he said.
Monti still takes a chemotherapy pill once a day, and his tumors are now “very small, less than a centimeter.”
“For me to still be here — it means God’s got work for me to do.”
Although Fabbri has performed similar surgeries in the past, he noted that the circumstances of Monti’s challenges were “extremely rare.”
“This was a particularly challenging situation,” he said. “I never thought he could come back at this level. It’s really remarkable where he is today.”
Monti was able to walk on the beach just a couple of months after his surgery. “He can walk as tolerated with no support or limited support,” his doctor said. (Richard Monti)
Although Monti can’t run, he has “no substantial limitations” in his daily activities, his doctor told Fox News Digital.
“He can walk as tolerated with no support or limited support,” Fabbri said. “He sent me a video of him walking on the beach. It’s fantastic.”
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Throughout Monti’s darkest days, he said he drew strength from the love for his family — including his wife, five daughters and one son — and his faith.
“For me to still be here — it means God’s got work for me to do,” he said. “So I’m going to continue to do that work, because I honestly shouldn’t be here.”
Largely inspired by her father’s health journey, one of Monti’s daughters, pictured, has decided to pursue a career in nursing. “I’m so proud of her,” the dad said. (Richard Monti)
Recently, Monti was able to attend his daughter’s high school graduation, visit the college she will attend in the fall and enjoy a walk on the beach.
“It used to be that every step I took reminded me of cancer,” he said. “Every step was so painful. But now I really don’t think about it.”
“I’m living a normal life now.”
Largely inspired by her father’s health journey, one of Monti’s daughters has decided to pursue a career in nursing.
“Not everybody is so resilient.”
“I asked her why she was so determined to be a nurse,” Monti said. “She said, ‘Sitting there watching you all those months, I learned I had a lot to offer.’ I’m so proud of her.”
Fabbri credits Monti’s determination and positive outlook as being inextricably linked to his successful outcome.
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“Not becoming discouraged and still willing to go ahead — it takes a lot of guts and determination,” he said.
“It takes a lot of strength to believe in yourself and your physician. Not everybody is so resilient.”
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Common food preservatives may contribute to higher risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, according to a large French study.
Researchers analyzed data from 112,395 adults averaging 42 years of age, assessing their detailed dietary intake with an average follow-up of nearly eight years.
Among the participants, 5,544 developed hypertension during the follow-up period, and 2,450 experienced cardiovascular disease events.
‘ADDICTIVE’ ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS LINKED TO SPIKE IN CHRONIC DISEASE, RESEARCHERS WARN
Higher consumption of total non-antioxidant preservatives was associated with a 29% greater risk of hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Higher consumption of total antioxidant preservatives was linked to a 22% spike in hypertension risk.
Common food preservatives may contribute to higher risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, according to a large French study. (iStock)
Out of the 17 preservative additives consumed by at least 10% of participants, eight in particular were associated with higher rates of hypertension, including the following.
- Potassium sorbate
- Sorbic acid
- Sodium nitrite
- Potassium nitrite
- Sodium metabisulphite
- Potassium metabisulphite
- Citric acid
- Tripotassium citrate
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Only one of the preservatives – ascorbic acid, which is the food additive form of vitamin C – was significantly associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk.
The finding does not mean that dietary vitamin C itself causes cardiovascular disease, the researchers noted. The study examined ascorbic acid in the form used as a food additive in processed foods, not vitamin C from fruits, vegetables or supplements.
Out of the 17 preservative additives consumed by at least 10% of participants, eight in particular were associated with higher rates of hypertension. (iStock)
The findings were published in the European Heart Journal.
“This is a very important study that puts together what we already know – that preservatives of all kinds raise blood pressure and contribute directly to heart disease and stroke over eight years,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.
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“Whereas potassium itself can lower blood pressure, the additive potassium sorbate has previously been found to be associated with hypertension in a large study in the European Heart Journal,” the doctor, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “Potassium metabisulphite was also found to raise pressure in the same study.”
The same was found for sodium nitrite in the new study, Siegel noted, with 73% of participants consuming it regularly – “mostly in processed foods like hot dogs, ham, bacon and deli meats.”
“Preservatives of all kinds raise blood pressure and contribute directly to heart disease and stroke over eight years,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“This has been found in previous research for many years,” he added.
Siegel also discussed the 22% increased risk linked to ascorbic acid. “I am dubious about this association, as it has not generally been found before, but perhaps the risk is when it is used as a chemical preservative.”
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“For all the sodium additives, this is expected, but surprising with extracts of rosemary and citric acid – the key to both of these ingredients is when they are used as preservatives (chemicals),” he added.
Potential limitations
As this was an observational study, it could not prove that the additives caused the health conditions.
Also, the participants who volunteered for the study were generally healthier, more educated and more often female than the general French population, the researchers noted.
As this was an observational study, it could not prove that the additives caused the health conditions. (FG Trade / Getty Images)
There was also the chance that hypertension was underdiagnosed in some participants.
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While the researchers estimated people’s dietary intake as accurately as possible, there was a chance that some consumption was inaccurately reported.
The authors emphasized that these findings need to be confirmed in further research of other populations.
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If the results are replicated in future research, some food preservatives may face additional safety reviews focused on their effects on the cardiovascular system, the researchers suggested.
“The take-home is to use natural ingredients as much as possible, and especially beware of sodium chemical preservatives when it comes to risk of heart disease and stroke from associated hypertension,” Siegel concluded.
JD Vance reveals his favorite dad joke
Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, and Jessica Tarlov engage in a lighthearted exchange of classic dad jokes on Fox News’ ‘The Five’. The discussion is sparked by recent research highlighted in The Washington Post, which indicates that humor, even ‘cringeworthy’ dad jokes, plays a surprisingly important role in parenting and can help strengthen the bond between fathers and children. The panel illustrates this point with their own memorable one-liners.
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“My neighbor tiled my roof for free. He said it was on the house.”
While that dad joke might elicit a heavy sigh from family members, experts say a silly pun can alter internal body chemistry and lower stress, potentially providing real health benefits.
Dad jokes are uniquely distinguished by their structure, content and comedic devices, according to a study published on PsyArXiv, an open-access preprint repository for psychology research.
TRENDY ‘CORTISOL COCKTAIL’ COULD MELT STRESS AND POUNDS AWAY, INFLUENCERS CLAIM
In analyzing thousands of examples, psychologists Paul J. Silvia (University of North Carolina at Greensboro) and Meriel I. Burnett (University of Massachusetts Amherst) found that dad humor is firmly rooted in puns and wordplay.
While more advanced comedy requires context, a joke about a neighbor’s roof may only require someone to understand the dual meaning of a single phrase.
Experts claim a pun can change body chemistry and lower stress. (iStock)
This predictable structure makes dad jokes broadly accessible, creating opportunities for shared humor across generations, the researchers said.
Laughter alters internal chemistry by decreasing stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, while simultaneously increasing happiness chemicals like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins.
GRANDPARENTS WHO BABYSIT THEIR GRANDCHILDREN STAY MENTALLY SHARPER, NEW STUDY REVEALS
A 2023 review in PLOS One found that a single laughter session could slash cortisol levels by more than 36%. This drop in stress lights up regions like the prefrontal cortex, helping the brain to process complex ideas.
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Studies have linked pun comprehension to verbal ability, creative thinking and the ability to make connections between different meanings.
Sharing a good laugh can boost oxytocin, a hormone known to deepen emotional bonds between parents and children. (iStock)
“When we see children laugh, we witness the brilliance of the brain in action: learning, connecting and growing,” Jacqueline Harding, PhD, an early childhood expert at Middlesex University in London, told Fox News Digital.
In her book, “The Brain That Loves to Laugh,” Harding states that joy is a complex biological phenomenon that helps children navigate stress and build more resilient, receptive minds.
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“Hope and humor, it seems, are not just the seasoning of life, but foundational to a recipe for healthy development.”
The physical benefit extends directly to the family unit. Sharing a good laugh can boost oxytocin, a hormone known to deepen emotional bonds between parents and children. It also promotes what psychologists call co-regulation, experts say.
Sharing a good laugh can boost oxytocin, a hormone known to deepen emotional bonds between parents and children. (iStock)
This process allows individuals to manage their own stress by drawing on a shared biological store of positive, safe experiences.
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“Spontaneous, joyful play is an antidote to stress, as it increases levels of endorphins released by the brain,” Harding said.
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“Creative, happy play does its most brilliant work at a molecular level, especially at a time when the human brain is at its most receptive.”
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