Sam Stornelli first served in the Navy and later became an officer in the Army. His service included participation in Desert Storm and deployments to the North Atlantic.
Stornelli’s life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at the age of 41. At first, he sought treatment outside of VA, but the high costs of cancer care led him to seek care at the Bay Pines VA Medical Center, where he completed his treatment.
Stornelli had previously used VA to manage his diabetes and hypertension, and he trusted the quality of care he received there. “Nothing scared me more than being told I had cancer,” he recalled. “So many things are running through your head. But sitting down to talk to someone to help you understand, and then you know that treatment will be quality treatment.” For Stornelli, that personal connection with was Dr. Dalia Mobarek, an oncologist at the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center.
The journey
Dr. Mobarek was his oncologist throughout his journey and ensured specialties such as dermatology, gastroenterology, surgery, radiology and immunology were engaged and consulted for Stornelli’s care plan. When a bowel obstruction sent Stornelli to the emergency department, physicians identified a recurrence of his cancer after a challenging, hours-long biopsy.
With the unwavering support of his care team, Stornelli faced each new challenge with determination. This support helped him recover enough to attend his daughter’s wedding in 2022 and welcome his first grandchild in 2025, all while remaining cancer-free.
Stornelli emphasized the importance of VA’s support system for Veterans, noting that VA physicians are familiar with the unique needs of Veterans. “When people talk smack about VA, you [know they have] obviously never been there,” he said. “I’ve never encountered one provider or doctor that was bad. There’s going to be variation, but everyone is committed to what they’re doing.”
For his fellow Veterans, Stornelli has one piece of advice: “Regardless of the outcome, I knew it was going to be a fight no matter what. I knew that the VA doctors would be with me every step of the way, so I’d tell other Veterans to trust your VA doctors.”
