▁had ▁met ast as ized ▁to ▁his ▁l ungs ▁and ▁li ver . ▁Dam ski ▁refused ▁an ▁experimental ▁treatment , ▁telling ▁friends ▁and ▁readers ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁maintain ▁his ▁quality ▁of ▁life , ▁a ▁clear - head ▁and ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁write ▁during ▁the ▁last ▁months ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁He ▁wrote ▁week ly ▁until ▁he ▁col lapsed ▁in ▁late ▁October , ▁ 1 9 9 7 — h aving ▁un know ingly ▁written ▁his ▁ 2 0 th ▁anni versary ▁column ▁and ▁one ▁more ▁for ▁the ▁road , ▁both ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁published ▁post hum ously . ▁ ▁Child hood ▁Dam ski ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁double - thick ▁l enses , ▁C ubs ▁baseball ▁cap ▁and ▁T - sh irt ▁& ▁tie ▁combinations ▁as ▁he ▁walked ▁the ▁neighborhood s ▁in ▁Chicago , ▁gather ing ▁news ▁for ▁his ▁columns . ▁His ▁vision ▁had ▁been ▁mar red ▁from ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁his ▁life — as ▁a ▁prem ature ▁birth ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁Seattle , ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁not ▁even ▁expected ▁to ▁live ; ▁yet ▁Dam ski ▁wrote ▁about ▁this ▁in ▁later ▁years ▁as ▁a ▁positive ▁thing : ▁it ▁fre ed ▁him ▁up ▁from ▁all ▁the ▁press ures ▁put ▁on ▁his ▁older ▁brother ▁by ▁his ▁parents . ▁ ▁Dam ski ' s ▁father , ▁Henry ▁Dam ski , ▁had ▁spent ▁time ▁in ▁an ▁or phan age ▁in ▁B irmingham , ▁Alabama , ▁before ▁later ▁att ending ▁the ▁New ▁England ▁Conserv atory ▁of ▁Music . ▁In ▁Seattle , ▁he ▁would ▁become