Hello friends and community,

My name is Emily Lewis and I'm one of the many people that have the pleasure of being a dear friend of Chris James.

Recently, Chris's life has been radically altered by the diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma, a rare form of plasma cell cancer.

*Contact Request from Chris as of May 22nd*: Chris has been super grateful for the HUGE outpouring of support and messages but has respectively requested if you would like to contact him directly, please only use fb messenger or comment on facebook posts directly. Please refrain from texting or calling him directly at this time. He wanted me to relay that he may not be able to respond to everyone individually in a timely manner as he needs to reserve his energy and prioritizing focusing on his health - but he will get back to people as he can over time. He assured me is super grateful for how much support he is receiving but he is also in a fairly internal process right now as he is navigating all of this.

Health Details: Chris went to ER at Sutter Health on Saturday May 18th after being advised to do so by one of his health practitioners. Upon being admitted to the ER, Chris was in sepsis. After lots of various testing they were able to confirm he has Multiple Myeloma.

Treatment Details: He's currently under the care of a specialist, Dr. Behl at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, CA. He will be starting chemo May 22nd and it's a 2-week session plus getting a bone marrow stem cell transplant. I'm sure Chris will also want to incorporate complementary forms of treatment into his plan but I don't have those details right now. As I get more info I will update this page.

As of the start of this fundraiser (May 21st) I don't have all of the medical cost info to report in detail but as soon as I have that I will update this fundraiser to more accurately reflect what funds will be needed.

Chris's state of mind:

Chris is handling this with grace - he is holding himself with compassion and is taking utmost care to feel safe and just taking it one day at a time. He knows that starting the allopathic chemo treatment is the best course of action to take immediately and he will of course also be focused on healthy diet and all of his other health habits that he is already proficient at. He still has a sense of humor but recognizes that now is the time to firmly hold his scared inner munchkin with his adult embrace...

About the funds raised:

All proceeds raised will go towards Chris's medical costs as well as cost of living expenses while he is recovering from his treatment protocol. Rest assured he is handling this diagnosis with as much grace as one can muster during such an intense time.

How You Can Help:

Any amount you can donate is extremely appreciated. We truly are an interconnected community and the ways that we all show up and care for each other matter. So ANY amount is helpful. No amount is too small.

Other ways you can help:

Meal Train: Please sign up for meal train HERE. He needs food deliveries while he is in the hospital until at least June 5th. Please read all the info on the sheet before signing up. thank you!

Please Share with the Community and Spread the Word:

Chris James has been a pillar in the dance and other east bay communities for decades. He has offered his services and skills to many folks over the years and now is the time to help support him in his time of need. I offered to help him create this fundraiser and he has given his full blessing.

Please share with your community and anyone you know who may be able to help to ease the financially burden of this reality he's facing.

Share: Please amplify this message. Share this link on Social media, email lists, and even direct conversations are all good ways to help.

Prayers: Chris understands we are all part of a larger web of connected consciousness and energy. He welcomes your prayers and healing thoughts right now. Chris is so grateful for incredible support and JOY you bring to his life. Your prayers and support is filling him up daily!

Be Part of his Care Team:

This is still in development. I would love for a few dear friends that live closer to him (East Bay) to volunteer to help with day to day support once he gets out of the hospital. Please contact Emily Lewis through facebook or text for more info on this.

Thank you for your time in reading this and thank you in advance for your generous donations. Chris James is one of the most amazing humans I have ever had the honor of knowing. He has brought lots of love, laughter and creative expression to my life and so many peoples lives! He has dedicated his life to healing and to living a life full of love and open-heartedness and creative expression. Lets rally to show him we support him and love him.

THANK YOU!

In Gratitude,

Emily Lewis