Hi, Hafa Adai, and Aloha, my name is Doreen and I'm creating this GoFundMe to raise funds for my son, Joseph (Joey), and our family to help cover costs associated with his upcoming 2nd craniotomy to remove a grade 3 brain glioma tumor regrowth and for radiation therapy and chemotherapy treatments.

My son, Joey, 38 years old now, had a low-grade glioma tumor resected on November 7, 2023, by Dr. Berger and his amazing team at the UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco. This past November 4, 2025, Joey had a routine MRI follow-up scan on Guam. On November 26, 2025, we were notified by his neuro-oncologist that there is a regrowth and Joey will need to get another craniotomy to remove the grade 3 glioma tumor regrowth and to include radiation therapy and chemotherapy after the craniotomy. We are currently working on scheduling the surgery and other appointments with Dr. Berger and his team.

Update as of 12/24/2025: The craniotomy is scheduled for January 14, 2026, Wednesday, at 6:30 am at University of California at San Francisco Medical Center – Parnassus. Prior to that day, Joey has to go through several appointments to prepare for the craniotomy including brain mapping. After the surgery, Joey will be an in-patient in the ICU Ward for Neurology patients until such time Dr. Berger gives him the green light to be released from ICU care. The tumor will be sent to pathology for testing and will guide the next treatment phase.

The Radiology component of treatments for Joey will be guided and headed by Dr. Braunstein, Radiology Oncologist, and his team to include Dr. Menghini, Radiology Neuro-Oncologist, that will follow two weeks after the craniotomy. The outcome of the pathology report will guide the type of radiation therapy, and this planning and design phase will be over a course of 5 to 6 days which will include a “dress rehearsal” day with updated imaging and a CT scan for Joey to undergo so he knows what he is dealing with during this therapy phase. Each week, Joey will be meeting with Dr. Braunstein who will be reviewing Joey’s weekly CT scan and treatment updates to ensure treatment is working and outcomes are positive. Radiation therapy is to treat the tumor cells that were not removed from surgery as not all tumor cells can be removed during surgery if they are within 1/2 millimeter proximity to the brain. Radiation therapy will consist of six weeks of low dose radiation treatments given Monday to Friday totaling 30 treatments to treat the tumor cells not removed and minimize damage to existing healthy brain cells and to minimize long term brain damage. After the Radiology therapy is completed, Joey will continue with Chemo treatment and further information on this matter will be discussed with Dr. Braunstein.

Joey will be in San Francisco for an estimate of four months for the craniotomy and recovery; radiation therapy and chemotherapy; and follow-up appointments until he gets the green light to fly back home to Saipan by his Doctors, Dr. Berger, Dr. Butowski, and Dr. Braunstein.

We humbly ask for your kind support if you are in a position to contribute financially. Your kind support would mean the world to us and will greatly help Joey with the medical care he urgently needs. Thank you for your kind support and giving to help my son. We truly appreciate any contribution you are able to make and God bless you!