A micro fund raiser for a joyful occasion! For me, the end of 2025 marks five years cancer free. $350 will go to a milestone tattoo, and everything else will go to buying coats and toiletries, etc. for houseless people in Oakland. Read on for more.

In total it's been two rounds of treatment, two and a half years of chemo, two major and two more minor surgeries, one long July of daily radiation, two ports, way too many drains, a mess of blown veins, more gross details than you ever want to hear, and five years of cautiously rebuilding. It's a miracle I'm alive.

Cancer is an absolute fucking bastard, but it forced me to see how deeply I am loved and held. I want to anchor that experience, and pass it on. So here's the plan:

First: I want to get a tattoo, a little way to reclaim my body and honor the power of slow, steady progress. (I'm thinking a snail.)

Second, I want to buy a stack of thrift store coats, pocket warmers, toiletries, and other necessities for houseless people who may need them here in Oakland. A little before Christmas, some friends and I will get together and distribute them directly.

Especially as the weather turns cold and the holidays come, especially during a time marked by a festering brokenness at the core of our humanity, I want to do something hopeful. To return some love to the city that has held me during my long fight.

They say that shared pain is lessened, and shared joy is multiplied. While this fundraiser may seem like an odd combination, shared pain/shared joy is the essence of both my tattoo, and my plans for a little guerrilla act of community care. Donate/share if you can; take care of yourself if you can't. Honestly, it's just nice to be able to share an indisputable victory in 2025.

Thank you for being a part of the journey!