Thank you for visiting our CaringBridge website. We used it to keep family and friends updated in one place during Em’s current situation in home hospice for comfort care, and to allow folks a place to send Emerson support, hope and encouragement. We are sorry to say Emerson passed away on April 25 in the early morning in our home. Below is the text we posted when we first began his Caringbridge, with some edits since the start of his brief hospice, and it stayed true until the end of his experience with cancer. He is a perfect person we love dearly, and his love was stronger than the cancer ever could be.
Emerson was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in late 2019, underwent a colectomy, and completed a six month period of fol fox chemotherapy before entering remission. In the fall of 2020, it was apparent his cancer had metastasized, so he began another period of chemotherapy, fol firi, with the anticipation that he would undergo abdominal surgery with HIPEC in spring 2021 — since postponed to September 1st 2021 after a second period of fol firi chemo throughout the summer. His surgery revealed unforeseen, extensive metastasis throughout the abdomen, so the HIPEC was not performed and the cytoreduction was not fully completed. After a month in the hospital this past spring for some issues with digestion, it was determined after extensive testing and imaging that Emerson's tumors have grown in such a way that is untreatable with chemo, surgery or radiation, so comfort care is now the best solution for Em.
Emerson has been continually strong and steadfast, as always. He has been making an album and creating new music with video accompaniments, jogging through Interlaken park, continuing his learning in playing guitar, being an incredible music teacher, improving on his gameplay in Starcraft 2 and Diablo 2 and managing his Twitch stream (@wahlflow3r), cooking and trying new dishes, staying connected with his family and friends, and being a perfect, thoughtful partner to Hannah and cat dad to Forsythia and Nola. Undoubtedly the treatments and surgeries have been difficult, but Emerson has remained positive and works hard in his recovery, even in hospice.
Thank you for your support and love. We could not do it without you. We hope this site will be helpful for you as it will be for us during Emerson’s recovery. Love, Em & Hannah
As posted on Emerson's social media, the place for his Woodland Hills memorial has been confirmed:
*A note that we will respectfully ask unvaccinated or recently exposed guests to please wear a mask. We also ask that guests who may be feeling unwell to please remain at home. Many thanks for your understanding and consideration.
An update on Emerson’s memorial:
We will gather in Serrania Park (20726 Wells Dr, Woodland Hills) on Tuesday, June 7, beginning at 5pm.
If you knew and loved Emerson, in whichever way you came to know him, we hope you can join us in honoring his memory with his family, friends, and music.
Please feel free to share this post however you like, with anyone who might like to attend.
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