Hey Good People,

This is Chee. I'm writing on behalf of, and in support of a dear friend/brother/mentee, Jason Quezada, who is a young man battling colon cancer and needs money for his treatments.

I met Jason over 15 years ago when I served as a Teaching Artist at Street Poets, Inc--a poetry-based, peace-making organization dedicated to the creative process as a force for individual and community transformation in and outside of Los Angeles Juvenile Probation Camps and high schools. At Street Poets, I witnessed Jason's gift as a talented and charismatic poet, who was writing himself out of his "old" story and dreaming and weaving into being a man who walked into his gifts with integrity. Since then, I've been humbled to witness Jason "do the work" as we like to say--working through his traumas, stepping into his purpose, and being a committed father of two teenagers.

I've watched him deeply involve himself in ritual and community, and, at the same time, he has been running a construction business (Quezada Construction) that has done honest, good work on our house and many of our friends.

When Jason shared with me his illness, I knew he would find a way to fight and thrive as I've seen him do so many times. But, soon after Jason received his diagnosis, he was revoked access to Medi-Cal for reasons that we don't fully understand. So, Jason has been traveling to Mexico for treatment, and while the costs are slightly more affordable, they are not cheap.

I've asked Jason's permission to post the letter he sent a select few of us. I've attached it below. I hope you can contribute to Jason's recovery.

Dear Friends:

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to share some sensitive personal news with you. I've recently been diagnosed with stage one colon cancer. As you can imagine, this reality has been a lot for me to take in. The last couple of weeks have been filled with many emotional ups and downs.

Unfortunately, I've recently lost my health insurance coverage, so I'll be receiving my care in Mexico, where the treatment costs are more affordable. This whole experience has been quite frightening and unsettling, but I'm staying hopeful and determined to get through it -- better, healthier, and humbler than before.

I truly appreciate all the love and support you've always given me. Your friendship means the world to me during this time.

I need help to cover the financial cost of my treatment. The total cost for my treatment (chemotherapy and radiation) is $13,000. Simply, I do not have that kind of money right now. But the doctors who performed my colonoscopy and removed multiple malignant growths from my colon before my insurance ran out, as well as my doctors in Mexico, tell me it is essential that I get chemo and radiation as soon as possible.

If you are able to contribute anything, it would mean the world to me and my family, but no worries if not. I know that these are hard times for many of us. Please keep me in your prayers.

Thank you so much for being there for me, in whatever way you can. I'll keep you updated as things progress.

With Much Love, Appreciation & Respect,

Jason Quezada