Help Samoan Joe Beat Cancer
Donativo protegido
Many of you know Joe Leasiolagi as Samoan Joe–the witty OSHA and Guam Contractors Trades Academy instructor, the Safety Director at Black Construction, the friend you can always call and will always be there, the man with the plan. But to us, he’s all of that and more. And we call him dad.
Tied only with my mom, my dad is the hardest worker I know. He’s up before the sun, shows up bright and early every day for work at Black Construction. Between that and teaching 16-hour OSHA classes, still, he makes the time to help so many. He’s housed many people in need–at some point, I thought we were running a hotel. He’s paid for friends’ cars and worked on the Santa Rita (winning) Liberation Day Parade float every summer night and day for about a decade (and still brought the beers for the boys). He’s the kind of guy who shows up days before a party to prep and shows up early the morning of to cook. He’s not the kind of guy who waits and asks if you need help. He just helps. Dad shows up constantly and generously for the people he holds dear to him–the people he deems as family, which seems to be the entire island. While he is a pillar for most, he is the foundation for us. And, right now, our foundation needs support.
Dad has been diagnosed with Stage IV Cancer. The doctors have found tumors in both his hip and his chest. The one on dad’s hip was diagnosed as a Metastatic Stage IV Squamous Cell Carcinoma and has put him in severe pain due to the damage it has already done.
He’s going through radiation treatments, but we are still awaiting information from the doctors to see if the treatment has been effective at all and what treatment will look like moving forward. Though he’s on pain medication, dad’s pain levels have not been manageable.
We’re getting the referral paperwork done to get dad out to the states to receive better care. In dad’s current state, he can’t fly. So, the doctors are trying to get him well enough to travel to meet some of his children stateside and get specialized medical care. These treatments are very costly, and we would appreciate any help you can give.
Dad gives without expecting anything in return; that’s not why he does any of those things. But we need help, so I’m asking. If he’s ever been there for you, you’ve heard of him, or maybe you know one of his many children: Harmonie, David, Alina, Nive, Monica, Sefo, Ezra, Jonathan, Kyanna, Micaiah, or myself, please consider helping us in any way you can. We also would really appreciate your sharing this page with your networks! If we’ve been kind to or helped you, just know who instilled those values in us.
If you are uncomfortable donating through GoFundMe, please reach out to any of us, and we can provide you with other means of helping that may be more comfortable for you. Please know that the aid you give now will come back. And it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much, and God Bless!
Tied only with my mom, my dad is the hardest worker I know. He’s up before the sun, shows up bright and early every day for work at Black Construction. Between that and teaching 16-hour OSHA classes, still, he makes the time to help so many. He’s housed many people in need–at some point, I thought we were running a hotel. He’s paid for friends’ cars and worked on the Santa Rita (winning) Liberation Day Parade float every summer night and day for about a decade (and still brought the beers for the boys). He’s the kind of guy who shows up days before a party to prep and shows up early the morning of to cook. He’s not the kind of guy who waits and asks if you need help. He just helps. Dad shows up constantly and generously for the people he holds dear to him–the people he deems as family, which seems to be the entire island. While he is a pillar for most, he is the foundation for us. And, right now, our foundation needs support.
Dad has been diagnosed with Stage IV Cancer. The doctors have found tumors in both his hip and his chest. The one on dad’s hip was diagnosed as a Metastatic Stage IV Squamous Cell Carcinoma and has put him in severe pain due to the damage it has already done.
He’s going through radiation treatments, but we are still awaiting information from the doctors to see if the treatment has been effective at all and what treatment will look like moving forward. Though he’s on pain medication, dad’s pain levels have not been manageable.
We’re getting the referral paperwork done to get dad out to the states to receive better care. In dad’s current state, he can’t fly. So, the doctors are trying to get him well enough to travel to meet some of his children stateside and get specialized medical care. These treatments are very costly, and we would appreciate any help you can give.
Dad gives without expecting anything in return; that’s not why he does any of those things. But we need help, so I’m asking. If he’s ever been there for you, you’ve heard of him, or maybe you know one of his many children: Harmonie, David, Alina, Nive, Monica, Sefo, Ezra, Jonathan, Kyanna, Micaiah, or myself, please consider helping us in any way you can. We also would really appreciate your sharing this page with your networks! If we’ve been kind to or helped you, just know who instilled those values in us.
If you are uncomfortable donating through GoFundMe, please reach out to any of us, and we can provide you with other means of helping that may be more comfortable for you. Please know that the aid you give now will come back. And it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much, and God Bless!
Coorganizadores (3)
Kevin Leasiolagi
Organizador
Puyallup, WA
David Leasiolagi
Coorganizador
Nive Santos
Coorganizador