The 'Saved by the Bell' star's girlfriend and best friend shares details of the late actor's final days, saying he 'was in pain' and 'didn't want to die' after learning of his cancer diagnosis.
- Feb 4, 2021
AceShowbiz - Dustin Diamond was living in fears as he was battling cancer. Following the actor's passing, his girlfriend Tash and best friend Dan Block recall his final days, with the latter revealing his heartbreaking plea that reflected his wish to stay alive.
Speaking to Daily Mail, Dan says Dustin was "scared" after he was diagnosed with stage 4 small-cell lung carcinoma and was given his prognosis, "that he had anywhere from five months to a year to live." Dan shares, "Dustin was scared, he called me often crying, telling me he didn't want to die. He was in a lot of pain."
Dan says one time Dustin told him on the phone, "Find me a new body, I don't want to die." He adds of his late friend, "He also feared having to undergo chemotherapy, his mother died of breast cancer and he saw what chemo did to her."
Dustin had been hospitalized since last Friday, January 29. Dan, who is the President of Insurance Kings, reveals the "Saved by the Bell" alum, who had been staying in his friend Jules' house for hospice care, told him "he was in a lot of pain and the meds he was taking weren't working" the night before on Thursday. He, however, "was excited to see his father who was flying out from California to see him the next morning."
When Dustin arrived at the hospital on Friday, his liver enzymes were elevated five times the normal level, his lungs were filling up with fluid, and he had a hard time breathing. Dan details his friend's deteriorating condition, "Last Friday and Saturday he was able to talk and by Sunday he was having real problems breathing and barely speaking. He was able to say a few things on Sunday, and was able to ask for a smoothie. But he was in pain. He got really bad by Sunday evening."
"By Monday you could tell he was in pain, I think he was suffering, by the way he was breathing," he adds. Actor Todd Bridges called Dan that day, asking if he could talk to Dustin. Dustin couldn't speak, so Dan put his call on the speaker instead, so Dustin could listen to Todd. Dan recounts, "Todd told Dustin, 'Hey man, love you brother, see you again one day soon.' "
About 30 minutes after the phone call with Todd, Dustin was moved to Jules' house by medical personal for hospice care. He was still on the gurney in the front room of the house while the hospice worker and their friend Jules were preparing his bedroom, when his girlfriend Tash found him not breathing. He was pronounced dead a short time after by emergency personnel.
Tash confirms, "Dustin died at our friend Jules' house in the Fort Meyers, Florida area." Calling him "the love of my life," the 39-year-old says they "planned on a future together and spoke often about having kids." She shares, "Even though he was struggling to breathe and had difficulty speaking he was able to get out the words to me, 'I love you,' I told him I loved him back."
Dan additionally reveals his late friend's wish for when after he passed away. "Dustin didn't want a gravestone or a memorial service, he is going to be cremated in the next week and his remains are going to be split among Tash and his father, Mark," he claims.
