Help Alex Defeat Cancer

Holly Tassi is organising this fundraising appeal on behalf of Alex Hooper.

Donation protected

Hello, this fundraiser is for my brother-in-law, Alex, who was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Alex is the most exuberant, kindhearted and uplifting person I have ever met. He’s one of my favorite humans and I’m still in disbelief that this is happening to him. As a professional comedian, he lives to brighten others' lives and put a smile or laugh on everyone’s face. After nearly 18 years together, Alex married my older sister Lauren at the most beautiful wedding in Mexico earlier this year. Shortly after the wedding, he noticed swelling in the lymph nodes in his neck. His typically sprite energy levels started flagging. He carried on for a few months until it became clear something was seriously wrong. After several more months and many agonizing trips to various doctors and labs, he finally reached his cancer diagnosis.

While this type of cancer affects the body’s immune system and can spread quickly to other areas, the good news is that it is treatable. The even better news is that the prognosis comes with a high survival rate. Thankfully, Alex is not only made of magical fairy dust; that dust is tough as nails. We know he will fight this with everything he’s got. Even so, the next six months will be unimaginably challenging as his treatment plan involves painfully intrusive chemotherapy.

If you know Alex, you know he is not one to ask for handouts. But the reality is that he will be unable to work in his usual capacity for at least six months–his projected treatment period. As a standup comedian who loves to travel the world sharing his craft, this means a near-complete halt to his career and livelihood. Alex recently announced his cancer diagnosis on social media (see enclosed video) and was blown away by all the support he received from family, friends, fans, strangers and fellow comedians.

This GoFundMe was started with all of those well-wishers in mind, in hopes that this beautiful community surrounding Alex will continue to show up for him. All donations will be used for the mountain of medical bills that lie ahead and to supplement his lost income. I also plan to regularly share updates on his treatment and health progress here.

Thank you in advance for anything you can give - nothing is too small. That includes ongoing words of encouragement, silly photos, or even simply sharing this fundraiser with anyone that might be interested in helping. By reducing some of the financial burden, we hope that Alex (and Lauren) can focus all their energy on fighting and recovering from Lymphoma so Alex can get back to what he does best - making the world a brighter, funnier and lovelier place.

We love you, Alex!