The Tragic Story of Jose Figueroa, Jr.

Jose Figueroa, Jr., a sweet five-year-old boy, had a rice-sized tumor in his brain. His case is a quintessential example of what too much gadolinium can do to a small body overburdened by this toxin. Over the course of one and a half years, Jose was injected with gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) approximately ten times because doctors insisted on monitoring his unchanging tumor. His parents, however, began to realize that his rapid neurological decline was not due to the tumor but rather to gadolinium toxicity, as their son presented with kidney injury, severe allergic reactions to contrast MRIs, bone spurs, and a toxic buildup of gadolinium in his bones, skin, and other parts of his body.

To save their son, they requested the hospital stop injecting Jose with gadolinium and help in reversing the damage the gadolinium-based contrast agents had already caused. They even presented a letter from Dr. Richard Semelka, a leading expert on gadolinium toxicity, which stated unequivocally that further GBCA exposure was contraindicated for Jose due to the severe risks it posed. Dr. Semelka explicitly wrote, “I am doubtful that a low-grade slow-growing tumor could result in his catastrophic neurodegenerative condition. I request that you honor Evelen Martinez’ request for her son to not undergo further MRIs. If he does have childhood GDD, then even non-contrast MRI can make it even worse.” But their pleas fell on deaf ears. Physicians at the hospital dismissed their concerns, insisting that the tumor was the source of his decline and that the risks associated with gadolinium were negligible.

On March 3, 2021, despite the parents’ objections and Dr. Semelka’s letter, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA) performed another MRI with gadolinium. Jose emerged from the machine shaking, feverish, and with burns scattered across his body. It was a disturbing sign of what was to come. Just days later, against his parents' wishes, the hospital mandated yet another MRI with gadolinium, once again ignoring the documented contraindications and his parents’ protests.

Jose may have only endured this horror because he was a child, unable to say no or communicate his pain. Any adult in his position—after suffering severe burns, fevers, and catastrophic health consequences—would have refused to continue. But Jose’s parents, fearing the hospital’s threats to contact child protective services (CPS), were powerless to stop the repeated procedures.

On March 9, 2021, Jose’s tiny 43-pound body was flooded with intravenous heavy metals one final time. The MRI lasted two to three hours, during which Jose could be heard screaming and shrieking in excruciating pain from the other room. Tragically, Jose’s heart stopped in the middle of the MRI, dropping to zero beats per minute—a tragic consequence of filling a small child with a paramagnetic metal while powerful magnets whirred around him for hours. When Jose emerged from the machine, he was a shadow of his former self. His body bore open wounds and blisters, his teeth and nails had turned brown from gadolinium deposits, and he emitted the unmistakable odor of burned flesh.

Shortly after this procedure, Jose developed a brain bleed. His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was placed on hospice care. On April 15, 2021, just over a month after his final MRI, Jose passed away. An autopsy revealed that his tumor was not the cause of his death. Instead, it confirmed what his parents had feared: gadolinium deposits were found in nearly every organ that was biopsied, underscoring the catastrophic effects of repeated GBCA injections.

Jose’s story is a stark reminder of the dangers of gadolinium, a toxic lanthanide often misrepresented as “safe as water.” His life was cut short by a medical system that ignored warnings from experts and the pleas of his parents. Jose truly suffered a horrific death that no human being should ever have to endure.

His death underscores the urgent need for accountability and transparency in the use of toxic substances like gadolinium-based contrast agents and serves as a powerful call to prevent tragedies caused by senseless repeat contrast MRIs.

On this page, we both share Jose’s story and honor a life that was lost too early.

To learn Jose’s full story, watch the following slides:

See more videos of Jose’s post-MRI condition:

Video #1

Video #2