On October 12 at 8:25am, my papa peacefully passed away as my mom, my brother, and I held him and told him how much we love him. My dad was diagnosed with Leukemia in Jan 2020 and mentally and physically fought a hard battle. Nonetheless, he was positive, witty, and as lovable as ever. My mom and I did tons of research and completely changed his diet and exercise at home. We spent every waking moment with him and faced this journey as a family. I cried many times at the hospital and over the phone advocating for his life on his behalf. My 15 year old brother stepped up and handled bill payments and “man of the house” duties. He had a team of brilliant doctors and nurses and was responding exceptionally well to chemotherapy. It all seemed so promising. As we reached the final step of his treatment (stem cell infusion, 3 weeks in the hospital), he unexpectedly had a stroke due to bleeding in the brain, causing permanent brain damage. In his last 24 hours of living, we played him his favorite music, watched Mr. Bean with him, told him wonderful memories, sang and prayed for him, and held him tight. It’s absolutely heartbreaking for this to happen knowing he was so close to the finish line and being cancer free at our Thanksgiving dinner table. This fear turned into a lifetime of pain that I will have to endure until I get to see him again. Anyone who knew him knew that he was a generous, gentle, kind, compassionate, friendly, and loving man. He welcomed everyone and anyone into his heart. God called him home, but his legacy of love will always carry on through us. Thank you friends and family for your comforting, thoughtful messages. My family and I appreciate them very much. 
As you can imagine, finances have been tight since my dad started treatment back in January. On top of his medical expenses and him not being able to work, my mom’s business has suffered through the pandemic, further limiting our budget. My dad always supported my dreams, and I would love to be able to provide him with a memorial service, so we can honor him. We recognize times are trying for many, but if you’re able, any contribution towards my dad’s memorial service is greatly appreciated.