Me Soul Happy

You may know Joey Guila as one of the Bay Area’s favorite entertainers/comedians. He has rocked the stage for over two decades, bringing a ton of joy and laughter to many.   He is a great example of how one can use his talent to make an impact on other people’s lives.  He has supported many of us throughout his career by sharing the gift of laughter. What many of you may not know is that he is a three-time cancer survivor. While in remission, he was inspired to make people laugh for a living.  In a previous interview, Joey stated that, “I want to do comedy, and I also want to heal people because I think comedy is very healing. It made me forget about what I was going through."    


In July 2019,  Joey Guila’s health was struck by a whirlwind of events, forcing him in and out of the hospital four times within a month. This series of events led to Joey being diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The cause of this disease is unknown.  This condition is characterized by a malfunction of the immune system which causes the premature destruction (hemolysis) of red blood cells at a rate faster than they can be replaced. Joey’s blood tests show that he has very low hemoglobin resulting in less oxygen flow to his organs which is very serious.  Unfortunately Plan A which included high doses of Prednisone didn’t work. Plan B, which involved a combination of Rituxan (a type of antibody therapy)and IVIG was challenging due to a delay in insurance authorization and a nationwide shortage of IVIG. Due to Joey’s constant drop in hemoglobin, he was told that the only option at this point would be to have surgery to remove his spleen which is a key organ for the immune system.  On July 23, 2019, Joey had his spleen removed. This is just the beginning of his road to recovery. Although his spleen was removed, he would still like to explore the underlying cause. Given the positive response his body has had with alternative medicine while battling cancer, he is looking to take this route as it has saved his life in the past. 


As we come together as a community to help Joey, we should help him through these difficult times just as he has helped many of us.   We need your help to support Joey’s alternative medicine treatments not covered by his insurance. These expensive treatments include: Ozone Therapy, Myer’s Drips, IV Vitamin C, and supplements.   More than likely, Joey will have to continue alternative medicine treatments for the rest of his life. Our initial goal is to raise $25,000 to help cover expenses for these treatments immediately after surgery.  


Joey has a saying, which is ““To Laugh is to Live, so Live Long and Keep Laughing”. We owe it to him to be there for him just as he’s been there for us.  We need to make sure that he’s around to bring more laughter and joy for years to come.  


Thank you for reading Joey’s story. We appreciate any help or contribution, no matter how big or small! If possible, please share our campaign link on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) and with your friends and family. We will keep you posted on the use of funds and his progress going forward.  Any questions, please contact us.

(From Joey) I have added my fiance Bonnie Black as the beneficiary because she and I will both manage the funds raised for my health journey. Thank you all so so so much, love you!