Love and Support for Tony!

We are Leslie Wagner and Melanie Yunk, lifelong friends of Kelly Adame since middle and high school, respectively. When we heard about Tony’s fight with cancer, we decided to create this GoFundMe to help them out. We’ve witnessed their generosity and compassion for their community and family over the years, and now they need help for themselves.

Our friends Tony and Kelly are amazing people

Tony, beloved patriarch of his very large extended family, is a case study for resilience. He’s one of the most loving and generous people anyone could ever meet. Tony and Kelly have two children, five grandchildren and their 1st great-grandson, due in March 2023. Their love story is going strong after almost 40 years together.

He survived a liver transplant 20 years ago and failure of that liver in 2014 and, like a cat with nine lives, he keeps coming back strong. Now, the transplanted liver that has twice saved his life is afflicted with stage 4 liver cancer. Our badass Tony is struggling for the third time.

Kelly is self-employed and has already lost so much time at work while caring for Tony. He has needed constant care since late July and will continue to need care indefinitely. How many of us are one accident or illness away from wondering how we will support our families? Tony and Kelly have managed to keep their heads above water financially since Tony was diagnosed in August, but with little income at the moment, ongoing treatment costs (including home care, medical transportation, equipment and supplies, etc.), and regular home expenses, they’ll soon be into unrecoverable debt.

Our Goal

Many people are asking us how they can help. Our goal with this fundraiser is to give Kelly and Tony one less thing to worry about so they can focus on healing Tony’s cancer and take worrying about finances off the table.

Kelly and Tony were reluctant to accept a GoFundMe campaign—it’s very difficult to ask for financial support from friends, family, or unexpected donors with big hearts. If you can continue to send the much-appreciated love and prayers, please do! If you can also contribute any financial support, it will be humbly and gratefully received.

Tony has touched so many of our lives in so many beautiful ways. Please donate and use the hashtag #love4tony should you decide to share on your own social (and we hope you will). If everyone we know donates even a small amount, we can meet this goal. Help this deserving family fight strong and kick cancer’s ass!