Yo Fujikawa
From Yo's Family:
In December 2023, Yo was rushed to the ER when he experienced severe respiratory distress and extreme fatigue. Doctors quickly discovered that the right side of his chest was filled with fluid, and there was a suspicious mass in the upper lobe of his lung.
Over the next few days, Yo underwent a series of tests, imaging, and a lung biopsy, which revealed devastating news. On December 9th, he was diagnosed with EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer, a rare and terminal form caused by a genetic mutation. To make matters worse, his cancer was already at Stage 4, having spread to his brain, bones, and lymph nodes by the time it was identified.
Yo bravely faced his cancer treatment head-on. He had a chest catheter placed and began daily targeted therapy, hoping to slow the disease. He also underwent a 12-hour Gamma Knife Radiation procedure to treat his multiple brain tumors, where high-dose radiation was used in an attempt to save the healthy tissue around them.
Despite these efforts, Yo’s condition worsened. He developed neurological symptoms that made daily life incredibly painful. Tests confirmed the cause: leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, where cancer has spread to the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. This caused extreme sensitivity to daylight, partial blindness, chronic migraines, memory loss, muscle stiffness, and unbearable nerve pain radiating down his limbs.
Sadly, Yo lost his battle just before Christmas 2024. Yo is survived by his wife, Jaime, and his two beloved sons, Cameron (16) and Kyler (12). Their family has been overwhelmed by the weight of Yo's battle and the financial toll it took.
Yo's courage throughout his ordeal is an inspiration and we're happy to be supporting his surviving family as they recover from their loss.