God of All my Days

This is the design on our HyunStrong t-shirts.  💪  I feel honored to be standing alongside Tabby with hands raised up as she’s a champ... a true fighter who inspires me to keep persevering. Recently, whenever I get poked or prodded with needles or what not, I think of her and it gives me strength.  And especially now as I prepare for transplant in a few weeks. Here’s the link for our fundraising t-shirt if you’re interested: https://www.bonfire.com/hyunstrong/ So, the date for my transplant is set for 7/17 with admission on 7/10 for chemo conditioning and radiation prior to transplant. They will be collecting my cousin Bo’s stem cells on 7/9 locally in Chicago and then shipping them to Philly! Both Bo and I are busy with tests in preparation for transplant. Bo is getting his full physical exam and blood tests done today and I’m going into Perelman almost everyday this week! I had a repeat bone marrow biopsy last week. Hopefully, results will stil...

Can’t believe that it’s been 6 months since that fateful day last December when I went into the ER and my life was flipped upside down having gotten the diagnosis of leukemia. It’s certainly been a rocky road since then, but we’ve been sustained by God’s grace and strength to keep pressing on day by day. And now as we look ahead to this next chapter of transplant, we cling on all the more to that same unchanging grace. He’s been good and faithful through all the ups and downs.  Thanks for your continued prayers for my transplant and donor. We recently found out that one of my cousins in Chicago, Bo, turned out to be a 50% match. There was a 25% chance of this happening (just like my brother!) And, after discussions with my oncologist and transplant doc at Penn, we’ve decided to proceed with him as my donor.  Though there was a feeling of loss after we came to grips that my brother Dan would not end up being my donor, we are very much thankful for my dear cousin B...

Many of you had been praying for my dear coworker Mary Lou. Surrounded by her loved ones, she passed away this morning after a sudden recent decline in her health.  I had the privilege to work with Mary Lou for 14 years at Shriners but had gotten much closer over the past 6 months as we battled cancer together. She would often reach out to me to check on how I was doing, sometimes while she herself was in the hospital fighting. Mary Lou was always thinking about others in the midst of her own suffering. She would give me tips on managing side-effects, medical stuff I didn’t understand, and even what beanies worked well after I lost my hair!    Mary Lou was one of the strongest women I knew, persevering in the midst of so many setbacks. She was just telling me last week how she had just beat covid and was hoping to finally go to transplant by the end of the month. In January, Mary Lou had said “Faith and trust in God got me through the first one and I am sure ...

The past few weeks have been particularly tough for some reason as I’ve tried to recover from my last cycle of chemo. Maybe it’s the cumulative effect of all the treatment so far? Either way, my body has taken a toll.  I had shared with some friends that I wouldn't wish it on anyone but there's nothing like crying out for healing mercy and grace when you're in the thick of it... uncontrollably shivering in bed or writhing on the toilet. The other night, I was suffering from the fearsome foursome (fever, vomiting, nausea, and the big “D”). Sorry to be so graphic, but it was one of the worst nights so far for me and my family.  😓 . Anyway, I knew that there has to be a lesson to be learned from all of this.  With that looming in my mind, I recently read something written by a mom, Carole Carlson, who had lost her son in a tragic airplane accident. She said that...  in the weeks and months to follow, I learned more about God’s love than I had in all my years....

Another word, along with equity and justice, that we pray and strive to see displayed in genuineness and humility during this time of crisis in our nation as we stand alongside our dear black brothers and sisters. My heart is filled with grief and frustration as I just can’t get over how the basic God-given humanity was brutally stripped of George Floyd. And I can only imagine the outrage in God’s heart at this injustice and many more of the past.  In our battle with cancer, we’ve also experienced solidarity demonstrated through more friends shaving their heads to identify with me and now my dear niece. Please keep Tabby in prayer as she steadily loses her hair. Pray for her spirit to be lifted as she goes through this traumatic experience esp. as a young girl. Our hearts break and all the more, these expressions of solidarity from dear friends have meant so much to us and another reminder that we’re not alone in this fight.  💪👨‍🦲  Check our these videos and pics...