Community Corner

How To Help A Long Island Father Fighting Aggressive Cancer

A local resident recently started a campaign to raise money for the father of two. Find out how you can help.

(Image via GoFundMe/Chee’s Fight)

PATCHOGUE, NY - A Patchogue woman recently started an online campaign to help raise money for a local father of two who is fighting an aggressive cancer.

Kara Morris created a GoFundMe page on behalf of Jill Santone, whose husband Chee was diagnosed with colon cancer 5 years ago.

Since he was diagnosed, Chee has had four surgeries, multiple rounds of chemo, countless scans, procedures and complications.

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According to Morris, throughout the entire process, he has never given up or lost his sense of humor.

"Jill continues to manage so many things, especially with their children, Gemma and Luciano," she wrote on the page. "Her most important job she has is being Chee’s rock. During this time, they have been blessed with wonderful friends, family and co workers who have helped in so many ways and they are beyond grateful."

Find out what's happening in Patchoguefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

While Jill and Chee have received support from many members of their family who have offered to help them in any way possible, Morris, who is a close friend of Jill's, chose to start the fundraiser to assist them in paying their medical bills.

The couple are paying rising medical expenses while searching for clinical trials to help Chee.

"For all who know Jill and Chee know they are not totally comfortable with this, but some of us who are close to them feel it would be an avenue for people to show their love and support," Morris wrote.

Earlier this week, she posted an update that the chemo and plan Chee was getting at Penn Hospital in Philadelphia doesn't appear to be working.

He appears getting worse so now the two are trying to find a trial as soon as possible.

"Unfortunately Sloan Kettering doesn’t have any trials that would match for his type of cancer cells so they have to move onto to MD Anderson in Houston," Morris wrote.

The campaign has nearly reached its $10,000 goal with $7,800 in donations as of Thursday.

For more information or to donate, visit the GoFundMe page here.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.

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