Hi everyone,

My name is Shadie and I have created this GoFundMe for my dad, Lester Williams. Our family’s jokester and kind soul. If you have crossed paths with him in town you would get caught up in his spirited energy, talk for hours, and leave knowing you’re always invited to our home.

We’re private people when it comes to personal matters, but we find ourselves seeking community during this time of uncertainty. We learned the unfortunate news that my dad was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma June 3rd. His symptoms were very sudden. Before his diagnosis our family had noticed a dramatic drop in his energy as he struggled to walk and short distances became painful. Trying to complete every day tasks became a challenge. His hemoglobin level was 5.8, about 3x less than a healthy man his age (72) should be at. From the ER, my dad was admitted for 3 weeks at UCLA’s hospital where a biopsy was performed on a mass found behind his eye, a fracture in his femur was discovered, and a sample of his bone marrow was taken, all to learn that he has Multiple Myeloma causing his severe anemia and bone deficiency.

My dad was discharged on June 24 and since then we have been to multiple doctor appointments, from Radiation, Hematology and Oncology, to an Orthopaedic. So far he has gone through 5 weeks of radiation for the mass behind his eye and now is going through chemo twice a week, it will be 1 month this August 9. There’s good days and bad days, and we try our best to put one foot in front of the other and stay optimistic.

Our family cannot thank enough every doctor, nurse, family, and friend that has supported us in this new found chapter in our lives. Your support will go towards helping my mom juggle his treatments, medications, healthcare visits, and other medical expenses. Any amount and prayer is appreciated.

Sending our love to everyone and thank you for reading my dad’s story.

This too shall pass.