Ken Hudson Campbell, best known for playing Santa in the beloved Christmas classic Home alonerecovers after successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.
Following her surgery, Campbell’s daughter Michaela opened up about her harrowing diagnosis and subsequent health battle.
“It’s called squamous cell carcinoma,” he explained in an interview with People. “It was a large tumor in her mouth. The last two years they have done many biopsies and tried to control it. And it was only this year that he became very, very aggressive. So when they did the biopsy in October, that’s when we got the diagnosis.”
Although squamous cell carcinoma is not usually life-threatening, it can grow and spread to other parts of the body if left untreated. For Ken Hudson Campbell, the diagnosis came as a complete shock, as his health was the top priority.
Campbell’s most recent procedure marks the second surgery the actor received to treat his cancer. The first occurred in January. However, after this procedure, Campbell lost his confidence and stopped receiving regular checkups, at which point the cancer became more aggressive.
“She lost her health insurance with SAG and had to stop going to the same doctors she had been seeing for a while for her mouth,” Michaela said. “And that put him off a little bit and he just didn’t check it.”
“I think it was really shocking for us because we thought he was taking care of it, at least I did. “It was very difficult for me to listen and I had a difficult time emotionally,” he continued. “My dad was shocked by all of this.”
Ken Hudson Campbell ‘really touched’ by GoFundMe response
Because his cancer went untreated for months, Ken Hudson Campbell’s most recent surgery was intense. The actor underwent a 10-hour procedure that involved removing his lymph nodes and much of his jaw. Surgeons took part of his leg bone to reconstruct his jaw.
Fortunately, the surgery was a success. He Home alone The actor is reportedly “doing well” and “breathing on his own” without the help of a respirator.
Because surgeons removed all of the cancer during the procedure, Ken Hudson Campbell will not need chemotherapy. However, due to the nature of the surgery, he will need intensive therapy to restore his speech.
The actor’s medical bills were astronomical, covering physical and speech therapy, medical equipment, dental implants, caregivers, and more. But a GoFundMe campaign eased much of the burden. Since its launch, the fundraiser has surpassed its goal of $100,000, with donations from Steve Carrell, Jeff Garlin and Tim Meadows.
Ken Hudson Campbell did not take the endorsement lightly. According to his daughter Michaela, he was “overwhelmed” by the enormous amount of love and support she received.
“The first day we published it, every time I read something, I burst into tears. “He really got emotional about the whole situation” for the first time, Michaela recalled. “It was kind of a shock for him to feel so loved.”
“It really means a lot,” he said. “My family has been struggling financially for a long time. “So having my dad’s friends get together is very overwhelming and really takes a lot of stress off my family.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn