My father has a big heart. He is a loving and proud father, husband, uncle, son, and loyal and generous friend. If you know him personally you would know of his incredibly giving nature. There are so many who have experienced and been touched by his support, love and care.

My father has been fighting cancer for 3 years now. In May 2020, we first noticed a lump in his neck, which was removed and misdiagnosed as strep. In November 2021, the lump returned and after a biopsy, my father was officially diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. His treatment began quickly after his diagnosis. He underwent multiple surgeries which removed almost 200 cancerous lymph nodes. After the surgery, my father fought through 8 weeks of chemotherapy and 40 rounds of radiation treatment. In July of 2022, he was declared cancer free, and our family joyfully celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, and his birthday in February. He also began working again doing what he loved most, serving others as a pastor and leader in his community. 

Unfortunately, last month (March 2023), my dad began to suffer from extreme pain in his stomach, increased fatigue resulting in him collapsing at early morning prayer, and jaundice. My sister, mom and I urged him again to go to the doctors out of concern that perhaps he had developed an infection. And after yet another CT scan, the doctors identified an abnormal mass in both his pancreas and liver.

The doctors again moved quickly, and a few weeks ago, he underwent a procedure for a stent to be placed in his gallbladder which would help some of the blockage that was causing him so much pain. During the procedure, he also got a biopsy, which would confirm whether the mass was cancerous. The procedure went well; however, the following morning we found my dad in incredible pain. He was constantly vomiting and could barely stand. As a family, we rushed him to the ER, where he was hospitalized for another week. It was at the hospital where we learned the devastating news that the cancer had in fact metastasized to his pancreas and liver.

We were all gutted. We soon learned that it is incredibly rare for squamous cell carcinoma to metastasize to both the pancreas and liver, a 0.5 - 1% occurrence. My father’s brilliant care team including his oncologist, surgeon, and nurses were all shocked; even specialists hadn’t seen a case like his. In fact, because research and reporting on similar circumstances is extremely limited, his case is now being used for grand rounds - a formal meeting in which physicians, nurses, residents, pharmacists etc. discuss the clinical case of one or more patients. My father has a long and arduous battle ahead of him. He has already begun aggressive chemotherapy and immunotherapy with procedures and clinical trials scheduled in order for him to fight this battle.

Both my father and mother are incredibly hardworking, generous and giving people. They have dedicated their lives to serving and helping others; my father is always the first to arrive and the last to leave. They are the last people to ask for help out of concern of worrying or burdening others. Despite the challenges in his initial fight, our family decided against setting up a fundraiser page. This year, we are calling for all the support we can get. My father is fiercely fighting cancer, and he is determined to beat cancer again. But, the reality is that cancer takes a terribly great financial toll in addition to the already immense physical and mental toll. I hope that this will help my family cover medical expenses and monthly bills so that my parents can focus on fighting this terrible disease.

Thank you so much for your time, for your prayers, for your support, and for your contribution. We appreciate it more than words can describe.

Kathryn & Jinee

All contributions are gifts and no services will be provided to donors by the beneficiary, Harold Lee.