Joshua Ray Walker‘s cancer journey just took a devastating turn. Nine months after the 33-year-old country singer was diagnosed with colon cancer, Walker revealed that he is now fighting stage 4 cancer.
Shortly thereafter, Walker expressed his gratitude to fans for both their words of support and their donations to his GoFundMe.
“I am just blown away by the reaction to my post yesterday,” he told the camera in a video. “It’s just been a constant flow of well-wishes from all over the place. From childhood friends to acquaintances to everything in between; professional, personal, and family, it’s been incredible.”
“I feel very loved and I just feel so grateful for you all,” Walker continued. “Also, I launched my GoFundMe yesterday; as I make this video, I think it sits at sixty-something thousand dollars donated. Which is an un…unfathomable…it’s a lot of money.”
Joshua Ray Walker Shares His Gratitude to Fans
Walker noted that he’s “just so thankful” and admitted that he doesn’t “have the words clearly” to express as much.
“I’m trying my best; I’m fighting my hardest. I want to continue to be a part of this music scene and a part of everyone’s lives,” he said. “This money is going to allow me to be here for myself and keep fighting and focusing on my health and spending time with my loved ones. It just means the world.”
“So, I don’t know what else to say… I wish there was a bigger word than thank you,” Walker added. “But I’m just so grateful, and I love y’all very much.”
Walker ended his video by promising fans he’ll update them in the coming days.
In the caption of the clip, Walker wrote, “I’m truly blown away by outpouring of love and generosity y’all have shown me since my update yesterday. Thank you so much, and from the bottom of my heart of love you so much.”
Joshua Ray Walker Reveals Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis
Walker’s thank you post came one day after he provided his health update to fans. In that initial post, Walker shared good news first. He told his fans that he finished his chemo treatment related to his colon cancer.
“It was extremely tough, and I want to thank y’all so much for supporting me through this experience,” he wrote. “My body handled it reasonably well, and I’ve begun to rebuild my strength and immune system!”
Onto the bad news, Walker shared, “Upon the completion of tests to check on the status of my cancer post treatment, multiple nodes of varying sizes were found in both my lungs.”
“Before I started chemo, I was told I had a 90% chance of having clear tests post treatment. So to find completely new growth in a new organ was something for which I was not prepared,” he continued. “This unfortunately means my cancer will likely be restaged to stage 4.”
In the days ahead, Walker said that he’ll undergo a lung biopsy before starting radiation.
“I wish I had more information to share but I’m still waiting to meet with a radiology oncologist following my biopsy surgery,” Walker wrote. “I will keep y’all as updated as possible, and I will continue to fight my hardest.”
While the singer acknowledged that “the odds have definitely shifted” in terms of his likely survival rate, he wrote that he won’t share those exact numbers as it feels “defeatist and unnecessary.”
“I’ll let you know what they were after I beat them,” he promised. “I’ve always lived life to the fullest and I will continue to do so.”
Joshua Ray Walker Launches GoFundMe
To conclude his post, Walker revealed that he started a GoFundMe to help raise money during his upcoming treatment.
“When times are hard my instinct is to figure out how to survive financially,” he wrote. “I work harder to ensure that me and my loved ones will have basic necessities. This trait has been very useful in life, but it makes it hard to rest when life’s difficulties aren’t solely monetary.”
“I have a hard time asking for help, even when I believe it will be given happily. I’m launching a GoFundMe that will allow me to focus exclusively on my health and relationships during this precious time,” he continued. “I thank everyone so much in advance for their continued love and support. Love y’all so much.”
As of the morning of Sept. 12, Walker’s GoFundMe has raised $80,000 of his $300,000 goal.
Featured Image by EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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