Golden blond curls and beautiful blue eyes, Stephen Sajecki was always his mother's "golden boy."

"He was a very sweet child," said Maria Sajecki, who lost her 27 year old son to a rare form of adrenal gland cancer. "He was no trouble at all, always happy, a very sweet child."

The middle child in a family of three, Stephen grew up the boy who loved sports and socializing, while his siblings Paul and Terri, and his parents admit to being shy, more interested in books than parties.

It was Stephen who drew everyone together, who organized each new adventure. Even in sports he was mostly interested in the social aspect. Paul Sajecki of Waterloo said his brother was often described as "the social glue."

Consistently near the top of his class, Stephen graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a degree in history and philosophy but initially took a factory job before entering the telecommunications program at Conestoga College. He would never finish.

Stephen had his first surgery in March 2006, as surgeons tried to halt the galloping tumours infecting his organs.

His father Bernie noted "it's described as a savage surgery" because of the length and difficulty.

Stephen recovered enough to attend one year of school, but after more surgeries doctors told him he would need a year to recover. He agreed and though he lost the battle, it was an adventurous fight.

Stephen's uncle Rob Simon, had been visiting from British Columbia when he learned of his nephew's illness.

In an e-mail, Rob explained "I asked if there was anything he wanted to do and suggested maybe a visit to Victoria, to begin a little journey."

In April 2007, Stephen, who loved to travel, was jetting his way across the country determined to squeeze as much out of life as possible.

At one point, his uncle treated him to a Thai massage and when the therapist asked about his surgical scars, Stephen joked he'd been attacked by sharks. "He really had a way to make light of his health," said Rob.

In 2007 the two men toured Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. Rob explained, "Stephen loved the nightlife and found the bars in Warsaw and Krakow to be incredibly fun." At a more sombre point, he visited the former cathedral of Pope John Paul II and asked for strength to beat the cancer, if only for one week.

In December, Stephen called his uncle to explain he'd been pulled from a medical trial because the tumours were now too numerous. Yet he never complained or wallowed in self-pity. As hope was rapidly waning, Rob asked what else he wanted to experience and his reply was to visit Cuba, Egypt and Thailand.

Arranging to travel to Thailand, Rob went on ahead, hoping to sort out the logistics of travelling with an ailing young man but it was a trip Stephen would never take.

"These trips are my best memories and they would not have been nearly as memorable without Stephen," recalled Rob.

Girlfriend, Tracy Finn met Stephen in a bar last November. "He came up and introduced himself," she said. "He had a really great smile. He was really sweet, a really nice guy." As the two started dating Stephen told her about his illness though at that point, he was determined to beat the disease. Tracy said she wasn't bothered by his illness. "We kind of just clicked," she said.

Even as his illness progressed, Stephen worked valiantly to keep their relationship as "normal as possible" always inventing some new adventure for the two of them. " We just took it one day at a time."

Tracy believes Stephen changed her life, taught her by example the importance of keeping family close, of enjoying life and not complaining when it throws a curve ball."

Even when he wasn't feeling well, he thought of other people first."

She describes him as gentle, patient and sweet, a young man who made her feel "incredibly loved every time I was with him."

vhill@therecord.com

Stephen Sajecki of Waterloo

Born: Nov. 21, 1980 in Kitchener

Died: July 3, 2008 of cancer