Follow Lee's Medical Updates on CaringBridge.

When you first meet Lee, what you feel is love. He has a rare ability to speak to the core of who people are. Known for his humor, intelligence, and grounding presence, Lee is calm and charismatic, a natural peacemaker and healer. He is the person who shows up every time, on time, without hesitation. A beloved friend, son, and husband, Lee has lived a life rooted in service, first as a U.S. Army medic and now as a hospital pharmacist at The Ohio State University, where he remains deeply committed to caring for others, even while facing unimaginable personal challenges of his own.

In 2022, at the beginning of his third year of pharmacy school, Lee was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma. Despite the shock and weight of that diagnosis, he refused to let cancer define his future. While undergoing treatment, Lee completed pharmacy school and graduated at the very top of his class, a testament to his determination and strength.

Just as it seemed he was making meaningful headway against the disease, Lee faced another devastating chapter. Between June and October of 2024, he underwent three consecutive brain surgeries to address a tumor that continued to grow and bleed. Over the past three years, Lee has endured all available treatment options for stage IV melanoma, including four courses of radiation throughout his body and brain, along with countless immunotherapy infusions.

And still, hundreds of appointments later, Lee continues to approach his care with tenacity and resolve. If his doctors recommend a treatment, he does it. He asks questions, advocates for himself, and ensures no option goes unexplored, bringing the same commitment and integrity to his care that he brings to every part of his life.

Now, Lee is walking a road where issues arise more quickly than they can be resolved. Lee and Daisy’s lives over the past months have been defined by radiation appointments, short-notice surgeries, mobility challenges, and ongoing stress as plans constantly pivot.

There is no cure for stage IV melanoma. While treatment can offer meaningful periods of disease-free time, it is a lifelong diagnosis. Lee and Daisy are already facing, and will continue to face, waves of intensive treatment, increased care, hospital stays, recovery, and hard decisions. This GoFundMe was created to alleviate some of the financial stress, both present and future, as no one should be forced to problem-solve or fundraise during moments of crisis.

Lee is also facing the all-too-common reality of needing to continue working full-time to maintain health insurance. He was diagnosed while still in school and began his job immediately after graduation, which means he is not eligible for employee disability benefits. His paid sick time is extremely limited, and once it is used, any additional time off is unpaid. Fundraising support helps bridge this gap, allowing Lee to prioritize rest and healing without the constant pressure of lost income.

Lee has given everything he has to this fight and to the people he loves. Anyone who knows him knows he is usually the first to help others and the last to ask for help himself. Now it is our turn to stand up for him.

If you are able, please consider donating to support Lee’s GoFundMe, created by his adoring friends. Your generosity will help ease the mental burden of financial stress so the time Lee and Daisy spend together can focus on what matters most: rest, healing, and caring for one another.

If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this fundraiser with your community. Even a simple share can help Lee’s story reach someone who is able to support.

Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and support.