By Rich Mancuso

It’s been three years when family, friends and the boxing world got the news that Hector “Macho” Camacho was fatally shot while sitting in a car with a friend not far from San Juan Puerto Rico. Days later the decision was made to pull the plug as Camacho remained in a coma as we remember his memory on his passing of November 24, 2012.

There was a debate with doctors, family, and Camacho Jr. regarding the puling of life support and donation of organs.

What follows are some of the events of that decision to pull Camacho from life support. The details and pain are told by his closest son, Hector Camacho Jr. who still fights for the legacy of this father. In the past three years the legacy Camacho left continues with tributes and remarkable details about his career and life. Many will be forthcoming in a book that will be published in the next year.

And many continue to pay tribute and respects when visiting the gravesite of Camacho at St. Raymond’s Cemetery in the Bronx, New York.

ThINKING BACK TO 11/23/12

HECTOR CAMACHO JR.

San Juan, Puerto Rico: “So we finally got home from a long, draining day. I’m still hot and confused about the whole organs thing. No understanding. At the same token thinking about how and why these (Doctors, family) want to pressure me to make the call to pull the plug.

I’m here thinking Pops is a strong man, not only in the ring but outside too. I seen the man break five days in a roll without sleep and still was full of energy. So I’m in the room and my aunt comes to me and says ‘Jr. somebody want to talk to you.’ So I took the the phone and it was my father’s ex telling me my brother Justin is flying out to Puerto Rico tonight to see my father.

That brought a smile to my face knowing he’s coming for much needed support. So she went ahead and told me, ‘Jr. whatever you do please don’t make the call to pull the plug.’ I replied hell No, I would never! So she went on to say ‘I’m doing me and the other boys a ticket to be there soon.’

So, I got off the phone telling myself good!  I got more time. Thank God. Now I’m going to tell the doctors to wait til all my brothers get here so we can make a formal decision.. By now it’s 5:45pm. My brother Justin is on his way, So around 9, I’m going to the airport to pick him up.

It was just me and my three aunts from my father’s side and my grandmother. So I walked out of the room waiting for my Grandmother to head back to the place where I can get some rest.. Now my Grandmother calls me, ‘Camachito, ven para aca’ (Machito Come Over Here.

So I go over. She was there with the doctors. So they asked me to go into the room to talk.. When they closed the door I made it clear that I don’t want to hear shit about pulling that plug. So they said, ‘OK.’  Then they proceeded to show me a video of people who had suffered the same injury as Pops. I quickly got up and said I’m leaving.

My Grandmother responded, ‘Camachito, look I know it hurts but I don’t want my son being a veggie and he would never move or be the same person again.’

To me the doctors got to my Grandmother. So I then told the doctors, look this is a big decision. Let me have more time to think this decision over. The doctor responded, ‘If you wait too long I’m afraid that the organs can’t be donated.’  That’s when I lost it. Told the doctors ‘F*** his organs.’

I walked away. Told my Grandmother if you want to kill your son by pulling the plug go ahead, I will never do it…. “

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