From Four to Three… and Now, Almost Two

From Four to Three… and Now, Almost Two

A quiet family, holding on through heartbreak. One last season, together.

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Written by Ethan Choi

NaNuGo Youth Society

I met Chris for the first time on August 31, 2024.

Our dads were coworkers, but Chris and I had never really talked. My mom invited his whole family to dinner at our place. She cooked a big meal, and for a few hours, everything felt easy, like maybe something good was finally beginning.

Chris was quiet. He answered with just a few words and a small smile. But I could tell he was kind. We played basketball and some video games. We thought maybe we’d do it again sometime.

But the next day, September 1, everything changed.

Chris’s dad, Mr. Juo, went in for a long-overdue ultrasound.

That afternoon, he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

There was no warning. No time to prepare.

Later, I learned that Chris’s family had already been through another tragedy, they had lost an older son years ago in a tragic swimming accident.

They had already gone from four… to three.

And now, it felt like they were slipping toward two.

Still, they held on.

Mr. Juo started chemotherapy and kept working when he could. Chris’s mom drove hours each day between the hospital and home. They tried everything, even applying for a clinical trial at City of Hope. But the cancer was too aggressive. The treatments stopped. The options ran out.

And Mr. Juo came home.

Not because he got better, but because the doctors said there was nothing more they could do.

In May, we gathered again, this time at Chris’s home.

It didn’t feel like last summer, on August 31.

Back then, we were outside, running around, full of energy.

This time, the house was slower. Quieter.

Only the little kitten, maybe not knowing, or maybe pretending not to — kept bouncing around, trying to play.

Jumping, chasing shadows, being silly.

It felt like the only thing in the room not weighed down by sadness.

Mr. Juo looked very thin and tired, but he still smiled.

My dad, who’s never great with emotional stuff, made silly jokes.

Mr. Juo let out a soft laugh... not because it was funny, but maybe because he didn’t want us to feel awkward.

I don’t know why…

But that made it even sadder.

Chris’s mom said he’d been in a lot of pain.

But that night, he smiled like nothing was wrong.

He hadn’t kept food down for days, but that night, he took tiny bites.. slowly, carefully.

Like he was saying,

“I’m still here.”

And in that moment,

we all held on to that hope.

Chris still doesn’t say much.

He watches everything. He understands more than he says.

He wants to be by his side. Still quiet. Still strong.

But watching someone you love suffer that much — that’s a different kind of pain.

One day, Mr. Juo asked my dad for a simple favor.

“Can you shave my head for me?”

There were no big moments. No dramatic words.

Just quiet trust between two dads.

That’s who Mr. Juo is. And that’s the kind of love this family lives with… steady, silent, and strong.

Around that time, Chris’s family brought home a stray kitten.

She was small, cold, and alone — kind of like how everything felt in their house.

Chris held her often.

While his dad faded quietly in the next room, this little kitten curled up beside him, soft and warm.

No kitten can replace a father.

But in a house that was slowly growing quieter, it gave Chris something to hold on to.

Maybe it reminded him that not everything has to disappear.

Why We’re Fundraising

We’re Chris’s friends, from a student volunteer group called NaNuGo Youth Society nonprofit.

We created this fundraiser to help in the ways we can:

• Support basic living expenses

• Help Chris stay emotionally and academically supported

• Give his mom the time and space to be fully present with her husband in these final days

How You Can Help

We’re hoping to raise $10,000.

All donations will go directly to Chris’s family to help with basic living costs, medical-related needs, and allow his mom to stay by Mr. Juo’s side.

If you can give, thank you.

If not, please share this page.

Let others know about this quiet family that has endured so much and still chooses love every single day.

With deep gratitude,

Ethan, on behalf of NOVA (New One Voice Altogether)

and the NaNuGo Youth Society

To keep everything transparent and organized, this fundraiser is shared under the name of the NaNuGo Youth Society, a student-led nonprofit.

A special thank you to Mrs. Larkins for allowing us to use NaNuGo’s name and for supporting this campaign with trust and guidance.