Photo from Moi’s GoFundMe page
Remember the wedding video that went viral in 2014?
It was to grant a cancer patient’s last request, to marry his true love before he succumbed to cancer. Rowden, the eldest among three brothers, was diagnosed then with stage IV liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) and was given three weeks to live. He was able to fulfill his wish of marrying the love of his life however he was not able to win his fight against cancer.
A month after that, their family decided to get screened for possible cancer or blood defect. It was found that the second brother, Hasset, also carries the same type of liver cancer at stage III and liver cirrhosis. Moreover, the youngest of the siblings was found to have liver cirrhosis as well.
Hasset, who is one of the young up and coming chefs in the country then, decided to undergo a surgery to remove the tumor in his liver but it only grew again. He also tried alternative medications. In August 2015, he chose to undergo chemotherapy through TACE. Unfortunately, it proved to be ineffective as it weakened his body. In October 2015, Hasset surrendered to cancer and passed away at the age of 29.
Photo from Moi’s GoFundMe page
Now, Hisham, or Moi among his family and friends, is fighting the same battle. Although he’s been taking maintenance medicines and regularly get blood screening and MRI to monitor his liver, doctors found a 3-centimeter tumor in his liver, as well as several nodules spreading around it. It is the same liver cancer his brothers fought.
If you want to help out Moi with his battle, you can donate on his GoFundMe page. His medical options according to his GoFundMe page:
Doctors gave me three (3) options as short-term solution to the tumor: a surgery, RFA, and TACE. Each one has its own set of pros and cons. Each will cost me 3,000 – 4,000 USD per session and I likely have to do it 2-4 times a year, depending on how aggressive the cancer is. The long term solution is to undergo liver transplant which costs 100,000 USD if done in our local gov’t hospital (PGH).
Moreover, an event is set up for Moi:
Tapas for Mama
May 12, 2017
It will be a fundraising event for the Go family. The goal is to reach P1 million by May 12. The bigger goal is to reach P5 million before the year end for stem cell treatment. Each tapa and beer sold will go to the donation on helping Hisham’s treatment.
More info about the pop-up event:
Chef Hasset Go was an integral part of The Chefs and Foodservice Community of the Philippines. When his older Brother Rowden suddenly passed with liver cancer in 2014, our hearts went out to him in support. As Hasset contracted the same liver cancer, we did everything we could as a community to rally behind him and show him and his family support. Unfortunately, Hasset did not win his battle with Liver Cancer. Hisham (Moi) is the third and youngest Go brother to contract same cancer that took both his brothers at 29. Moi is now 27, and the clock is ticking. The difference is, Moi is making his fight with cancer public. He refuses to allow cancer to scare him into inaction. His show of strength is not just for him, but his mom Lorelei as well, who raised 3 boys on her own as a single parent. To understand her pain and strength is to know what true love is. And Since it’s mother’s day weekend, our little community decided to put up the first in a series of pop-ups for the benefit of awareness in this family’s fight against a crippling cancer as well as to honor the strength of this family especially of Mommy Lorelei whom we all love for her unique ability to allow love to be greater than fear.
For one evening, we are featuring both classic Tapas from Casa Marcos and some innovative tapas from Chef Kiko Balbarin’s wacky brain, to pair with Artisanal Baguio Craft Beer. Proceeds from this pop-up and the future pop-ups (3 restaurants already committed) will go to helping the Go family get treatments for Moi’s Cancer.
This pop-up is done with the help of the foodservice community helping each other our as a family, with special mention to Kevin Khoe of Casa Marcos , Chris Ordas Baguio Craft Brewery, Mike Yu of Isnap Creatives, Chef Kiko Balbarin (of Burgers and Brewskies) , Donny Elvina of Kain Tulog Gang, Chef Denise Jao of Dolcelli Cakes, Chef Celina Le Neindre of Claude’s Davao, and Il Terrazzo Tomas Morato. See you there folks!
First Come-First Served until supplies last! If you can’t go, just spread the word and or make a contribution to the cause by helping Moi get the funding he needs to get procedures done. The Foodservice community fights as one. As Moi always says: “cancer can’t scare me if I scare it first. ” #moimentality.
As Moi always says: “cancer can’t scare me if I scare it first. ” #moimentality.
