Help Michael and His Family

Michael Kwon needs our help.

Michael is known as a proactive and friendly member of the community by all who know him. He volunteers as a Sunday School teacher at his local church and works tirelessly to support his family. Michael is the father of three children, Ashley, Stephanie, and Caden. He is the husband of Jinjoo. He is the son of Chong Sim. He smiles often and laughs easily. He likes corny jokes, buckets of watermelon on a hot summer day, and having a movie night with his family when he’s not working.

Having moved from South Korea to America when he was a child, Michael’s family struggled to make ends meet. His mother, a single mom, worked the cash register of a convenience store making minimum wage. An average day of Michael’s life consisted of waking up early to walk to school, coming home and helping out at his mother’s store, and staying up late to finish his homework alone.

It was through hardwork and determination that Michael was the first in his family to attend college.

Having grown up on the poverty line, he wanted better for his loved ones. Whenever finances came into question, his first response was always “Don’t worry about it.” No matter how many hours he needed to drive, no matter how many meetings he had to attend, no matter how many calls he had to take, he faced life with a smile, determined to give his children the best life that they could have.

However, a meningioma has recently been discovered in Michael’s brain, and he has been hospitalized for an indefinite period of time. He has brain cancer. Michael’s family has suddenly been confronted by the question of “How?” They wonder how they will carry on emotionally, mentally, and financially without him.

Michael is the primary provider for his family. In the event that Jinjoo, his wife, is left a single mother, she has no work experience in America and cannot speak proper English. Michael’s eldest child, Ashley, is going to college this year with Stephanie in her senior year of high school soon to follow. With medical bills, college tuition, living costs, and possibly funeral costs to pay, the future looks bleak.

However, Michael and his family remain hopeful that his fighting spirit will allow him to persevere, past the hardship of illness that so many must face.

With a small donation, you can contribute to Michael’s recovery, and help bring him back home.

Thank you