Our dad, James Baker, was recently diagnosed with tonsillar cancer. In late December of 2020, he noticed a small lump in his neck, and by early January 2021, he realized that lump was growing fast. Due to COVID-19, he had been unable to see a doctor in person for over a year, despite having several telemedicine appointments throughout 2020. Had a doctor been able to look in his mouth, they would have likely caught it sooner. Unfortunately, it spread to his lymph nodes, and he is now battling stage 3 cancer. He went through many tests over the last few months before he was given a diagnosis, and after being turned down for a clinical trial at UCLA, he opted to seek traditional treatment at City of Hope. So far, his tests have included x-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans, a PET scan, biopsies, and a series of blood tests. Before even starting chemotherapy and radiation treatment, he received bills totaling well over $200,000. Right now, he is personally responsible to pay for over $50,000 of that. When considering the costs of treatment, surgery, and aftercare, we expect his total to reach, if not exceed, around $120,000.

Our dad, a well-known real estate broker in the Antelope Valley, has always been a provider for his family, but he is by no means a rich man, and the pandemic has made it so that there is very little leftover each month after the bills are paid. Now that he is no longer able to work at his normal capacity due to the worsening side effects of treatment, the debt is quickly racking up and the pressure of trying to make even more money to compensate is weighing down on him while he should really be putting all his energy and focus towards beating cancer.

The road ahead is not going to be easy for him. He has been told that he will probably develop mouth sores, lesions, and throat blisters, and he will have difficulty swallowing, possibly even needing a feeding tube. The doctors have also warned him that he is much more likely to succumb to the coronavirus if he were to contract it, so he is required to quarantine throughout his treatment and recovery.

Since his official diagnosis on February 16th, he has made some radical changes to his lifestyle. He has been eating much healthier, losing weight, lowering his blood pressure, walking more, and attempting to boost his immune system—anything that will help him during this battle and going forward. He told us he is not afraid of dying, but he feels he still has much more to offer and much life left to live here on earth. We, as well as our dad’s wife, Analee, their two young children, Chance (13) and Chloe (5), and all his family and friends want and need him here. He wants badly to see his children grow up, graduate, and get married and to grow old with his wife and meet his future grandkids. He wants to continue living and making memories with all those he loves.

Over the years, our dad has held, sponsored, and donated to countless fundraisers and charities for a multitude of good causes. He strongly believes in supporting his community and giving to those in need. One of his greatest pleasures in life is giving and helping make a difference, and he has never said no to people who have come to him for help—even if he had to finance it. It does not matter if they are a relative, a friend, or a stranger, he always comes through. Some of his close friends in whom he confided his condition approached us with the idea of creating a fundraiser to help our dad with these increasing medical bills. He was initially reluctant to ask for any assistance, but we all reminded him that he is one of the most generous people we know, and that it is okay to be on the receiving end now that he is the one in need.

Up until this point, he has kept this as a private matter. He was apprehensive because he did not know how the news would be received. He did not want it to hurt his business, nor did he want anyone to treat him any differently. He struggled with the idea of publicly sharing the diagnosis and admitting that he needs help financially. In the end, he saw it as a great opportunity to share his experience with cancer and to inspire others with similar challenges to keep fighting and assure them that they are not alone. Through all of this he has remained optimistic, and he is determined to beat cancer. He told us that if he can extend his life by changing his lifestyle and becoming cancer-free, he fully intends to look back someday and say that cancer was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Please consider donating to help our dad make it through this difficult time. Any amount you can afford would help, and if you are not currently in the financial position to donate, he asks for your prayers and support as he goes to war with this terrible disease.

Thank you,

Christian and Kelly Baker