Help Joe Fontenot Fight Stage 4 Tongue Cancer

My name is Joe Fontenot, and in July 2025, I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. This past Monday (November 17), I underwent major surgery: a hemiglossectomy (removal of half my tongue), a full neck dissection to test and remove lymph nodes, and a radial forearm flap reconstruction to rebuild what cancer took. My cancer is officially Stage 4, and the road ahead is long: daily radiation starting soon, intensive speech and swallowing therapy, regular scans, and countless appointments throughout 2025 and 2026.

Most of you have walked with me through the years. You’ve seen the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. You know the poor choices I’ve made and the consequences that followed. I’m not proud of those chapters, but I’m not hiding from them either. What keeps me fighting today is the unshakable truth that my future isn’t defined by my worst decisions; it’s held by the One who conquered death itself and, in doing so, covered every failure I’ve ever had. The quiet good I’ve tried to do along the way may not make headlines, but I’m grateful for every unseen act of kindness I’ve been able to offer.

Right now, I’m facing a mountain of medical and living expenses:

• Insurance copays and deductibles

• Max-out-of-pocket costs for 2025 & 2026

• Rent, utilities, and basic needs while I’m unable to work during treatment

I’ve always hated asking for help; it goes against every stubborn bone in my body. But I’ve also had the privilege of giving to GoFundMe campaigns for dear friends and family who were in the fight of their lives, and I watched how every dollar, no matter how small, became part of a miracle. Now it’s my turn to humbly receive that same kindness.

If you’re able to give anything at all, $5, $20, $100; whatever God puts on your heart; it will go directly toward keeping the lights on and making sure I can get to every radiation session, therapy appointment, and follow-up that gives me the best shot at beating this.

Your prayers mean even more than your dollars. Please pray for complete healing, for strength on the hardest days, for my speech to return, and for peace that passes understanding.

Thank you for reading my story. Thank you for every share, every prayer, and every gift. I’m fighting with everything I’ve got, and with you in my corner, I know I’m not fighting alone.

With gratitude and hope,

Joe Fontenot