Urgent Help Needed for Dad's Cancer Battle

My father has stage 4 lung cancer—and the system is failing him.

On June 14, he was admitted to the hospital for chest pain. Imaging revealed a large mass in his lung, and further scans showed that the cancer had already spread to his liver, adrenal gland, spine, sternum, and bones throughout his body. He’s now facing pneumonia and fluid retention in addition to late-stage cancer. Radiation to relieve spinal cord compression is urgent—but access to basic care has been nearly impossible.

My father is underinsured. He has Medicare Part A, but does not qualify for Medi-Cal due to a $300 income overage. Medicare Part B would leave him unable to pay for rent or food. We’ve found a partial solution: we can pay $1,308/month for Medi-Cal out-of-pocket, which would cover his medications, appointments, and treatments—but that’s simply not something we can afford. He was discharged from the hospital without the medications and oxygen he needs.

On top of that, my dad is unhoused. He lost his apartment during the COVID housing crisis and has been living in his car or couch surfing since then. He recently received a HUD voucher in Long Beach but has not yet found a place that will accept it.

I’m now his primary caregiver. I’m a full-time PhD student, a single mom to 10-year-old twins, and working multiple jobs to stay afloat. I live 50 minutes away and am trying to hold everything together—but the cracks in our social safety net are wide. I am asking for your help.

We are trying to raise:

$1,000 for immediate access to prescriptions

$7,848 for six months of Medi-Cal coverage

$3,600 for one month of extended-stay housing

$500+ for gas, food, and caregiving logistics

Stretch goal: $5,000 to help reduce his $142,000 radiation oncology bill

If you can contribute, share, or connect us to housing leads, medical advocates, or programs that support seniors with complex needs—please reach out. Our family is deeply grateful. We shouldn't have to crowdfund basic care, but here we are.