They Need Your Help

We are Don Weber and Monique Claudio, and James & Hiromi Foley are very dear friends of ours. James, 58, has been married to his wife Hiromi of 33-years, and they have two beautiful daughters, Yuki and Sayaka.

 

James has been fighting the “fight of his life” against a rare cancer (liposarcoma) in his abdomen. After 11-months of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, they were hoping that the cancer would shrink enough in size so surgery could be attempted. Those hopes were shattered on June 27th 2022 when the doctors told James that his cancer did not respond as planned, that it had in fact now also spread to his liver, and there was nothing more the doctors can do.

 

James has always been the bread winner and cornerstone of support for his family. So, what makes this even more devastating is he is no longer able to work due the cancer. The emotional and financial toll this is having on James and his family is simply overwhelming.

 

There is nothing James wouldn’t do to help a friend or colleague in need, or simply lend an ear if you needed someone to talk to. He is a giving, caring and faithful friend to all who are fortunate enough to have James in their life.

 

So, on behalf of James, Hiromi and the girls, we are asking for any donation you can make to help them through these extremely challenging times. Please know that all such donations made on this site will be going directly to the family to help them cover their existing and future financial needs.

 

Background on James

James spent his childhood in Spencerport, NY with his four brothers, one sister, and both his parents. Growing up, he was always involved in sports, with a passion for cross country, and he was Team Captain of his high school cross-country team.

 

After high school, James attended the U.S. Naval Academy and received his degree in Electrical Engineering (5th Company Class of ’86). While at the Academy, he became Team Captain of his cross-country team and led the team to 7th place in the NCAA National Championship.

 

As a Lieutenant in the Navy, he was stationed in the 7th fleet flagship in Japan. There he met his wife-to-be, Hiromi, with whom he would return to America and start a family. Upon returning to the states, James was stationed in the Naval recruitment headquarters in Scotia, New York and later to a recruitment office in Salt Lake City, Utah. After honorable discharge, he took a job at American Express and worked there for over 15-years in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

After his tenure at American Express, James went on to pursue a more entrepreneurial path focused in the medical field. His work focused on developing medical devices with Botanisol Analytics using next generation Raman spectrometer technology to help detect and quantify chemical compositions in seconds.

 

James is always looking to meet new people and make new friends. Before his cancer hit, he continued to stay active with weekend hikes, daily morning walks, and long weekend-long camping trips with friends. His favorite activities included playing pool on weekday nights, gathering with friends for trivia nights, and playing golf.

 

No matter how busy James’ schedule was, he always made sure to make time for his family. He attended his daughters’ birthday parties and school events and encouraged their pursuits in sports and arts. He traveled with his daughter, Sayaka, as she traveled across America to compete in chess tournaments. He participated in fundraising for the Mountain Ridge High School Marching Band Yuki was a part of, helping to send them to the Rose Bowl Parade in California and the Inaugural Parade of President Barack Obama in Washington DC. He also made sure to take the whole family out for regular outings, from watching the latest movie in theaters to attending the local Renaissance Faire in their home state of Arizona.

 

His support of his family was always noticed by others. He is most known as the “kilt-man” among many who have seen him attend Sayaka’s softball events. The kilt was a good-luck charm he made sure to wear to every game, up through Sayaka taking her college West Virginia Wesleyan College to the Softball College World Series.

 

This dedication to his family continued well after both daughters graduated college to pursue their own careers.

 

With the cancer and the aggressive treatments, James is no longer able to partake in any of his favorite past times nor is he able to be as involved with his family as he wants to be.

 

Again, please make your donation now to help support the Foley family through these difficult times.