Hello, dear friends and neighbors of Chef Katsu Brooklyn! And all my other friends around the world!

For those of you who only recognize me by face - my name is Tae. And I was an employee at Chef Katsu Brooklyn in Clinton Hill for a number of years (Fall 2021 - Fall 2025).

If you have been a regular for some time, you may recognize me! I used to have quite long hair... and often tied my hair up in a half-bun! Here's me when I first joined the team in 2021, playing chess with the head and owner chef, Katsu.

Back in the fall of 2022, I suffered a very painful CitiBike accident that I later found out caused a compression fracture in my spine (C-7, T-1).

I didn't quite fall off the bicycle, but due to a malfunction in the seat adjustment latch, the seat rapidly sunk while I was in the middle of riding. I felt a pop in my cervical spine, but I thought it was just a pulled muscle/pinched nerve at the time.

That was when the pain started that continued for years. And after visiting 3 different chiropractors and 2 different acupuncturists over the course of 3 years, I was unfortunately unsuccessful in finding relief for my ongoing nerve pain that worsened in my upper spine and shoulder blades.

Mid-2025, I noticed my pain had gotten significantly worse. And by late summer, I started to lose my balance often and struggled to even walk properly. This is when I had to abruptly hang my apron up at Chef Katsu, and decided to visit an orthopedic surgeon.

He noticed my condition worsen over the next few weeks, which made him suspect that it was not simply a musculoskeletal issue. So he referred me to an MRI specialist for an express MRI. Right after the results came in, my orthopedist called me right away and advised me to go to a big hospital like NYU Langone and speak to a neurologist ASAP.

That evening, I checked into the emergency room at Woodhull Medical Center, which was right across the street from where my apartment was. And after some more imaging (MRI, CT Scan), they informed me that the situation was way worse that I had expected. I was transferred to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan that midnight on October 2nd, which marked the official start of this new chapter in my life.

After many more full-body imaging scans, X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, etc., the verdict was officially presented to me to much surprise.

"Stage 4 metastatic cancer with metastases to the patient's brain, bones, adrenal glands, liver, and lungs. He also has metastasis to his spine with a pathologic compression fracture and cord compression that requires him to wear a brace when he is moving around, [including risk of] paralysis."

It turns out, the compression fracture in my cervical spine from the 2022 CitiBike incident could not heal properly throughout the years because there was a tumor growing right where the fracture was. And in addition to that, metastasis to other organs.

Since October 2nd of 2025, I was admitted to Bellevue Hospital and received 10 consecutive days of targeted radiation therapy to my brain in mid-October, and 3 consecutive days of chemotherapy in late November.

I started to lose chunks of hair that I had been growing out for over a decade, so I just decided to buzz it all off. I learned through my early adulthood years that sometimes, it’s better to just let things go, especially if there is a chance of it coming back in the future!

I've never been bald in my life, but I know I can just grow it out again after I make a full recovery.

Both my parents who live in Korea booked flights straight to NYC after hearing the news, and they took turns spending time with me and keeping me company in the hospital room that would get quite lonely at times without them.

I was also fortunate enough to be able to spend my 34th Birthday with loved ones, such as family members and friends that live in New York/New Jersey, who were able to visit me at the hospital that day. And even some of the Chef Katsu family members!

During Thanksgiving week of 2025, my family and I had decided it would be best for me to return to Korea with my parents and continue my cancer treatment (radiation therapy and chemotherapy) there, since I would have a much better support system.

My two options were:

All of the medical professionals highly suggested against trying to fight this alone, emphasizing the importance of a strong support system and how much it helps cancer patients recover.

So on the night of November 27th, I boarded a flight to South Korea with my parents, and checked into a large Korean Hospital (Severance Hospital in Seoul) straight from the airport in Seoul.

Since then, I have continued both radiation treatments and chemotherapy treatments in cycles every few weeks, while monitoring the progress through ongoing imaging (X-rays, MRIs, CT Scans, PET Scans, etc).

I also received a spinal fusion on December 8th to finally address the compression fracture in my cervical spine, and also make room so my spinal cord was no longer being compressed, which would have eventually led to paralysis from the waist down had I not gotten the fusion. Here's a photo of me the day after my surgery. It was certainly no fun to say the least! And now I have 4 screws and some artificial bone in my cervical spine, probably for the rest of my life!

And this photo below is of a PET scan that was taken in mid-December. You can see the tumors which are the yellow spots shown in the photo. The brain is still the most concerning area with the largest masses, but we are continuing to monitor those tumors and how the brain radiation I received in NYC during October is working against those brain tumors.

I still have a lot of work to do, as I am still receiving radiation and chemotherapy, as well as physical therapy in order to slowly get back to being able to walk on my own again. But I feel a net improvement each and every day, and am keeping my spirits high!

However, because I am a United States citizen, and it had been over a decade since I last visited Korea, I am unfortunately ineligible to be medically insured while I receive treatment here.

And although I am so grateful for my parents who can help me out financially during this time, I can't help but notice the ongoing bills stacking up for them each and every day I resume my treatment here in Korea.

It saddens me to see them constantly receive quite costly medical bills that are not even for their own health issues, in addition to having to take care of me and physically support me everywhere I go.

Which has led me to create this GoFundMe page. I would like to do anything I can to help my parents pay for the ongoing medical bills. They have done so much for me already and I owe my progress all to them.

Funds and donations received will be used for the following:

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read my story! And even if you aren't able to make a donation, that's okay!

Just a simple thought of cheering me on through my journey to recovery, or keeping me in your prayers is more than enough!

I look forward to seeing some of you again someday, after I make a full recovery and return to the city I call home! Until then, be well, and God Bless!

❤️

-Tae