USC RESIDENT NEEDS YOUR HELP

On behalf of all the OMS residents at the Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center, I am writing to you because one of our residents, Dr. James Le, is currently battling metastatic cancer.  It's jeopardizing his life and his residency/career in OMS.

James has had a lump in his right elbow for many years. He became concerned when it began growing rapidly in late 2006.  He had a biopsy done which revealed malignancy. The diagnosis was clear cell sarcoma of the soft tissue.  He then had wide excision of the mass with subsequent radiation.  Sentinel axillary lymph node biopsy was negative.

In January 2008, a new mass on the same elbow grew over several days. The new biopsy once again revealed aggressive malignancy. James had excision of that mass and chemotherapy followed by radiation. But just one week after the excision, he noticed another mass on his left trunk. A PET scan followed and revealed numerous lung and pericardial metastasis.  Another week later, he also found out there was metastatic involvement in his liver.  He is now enrolled in a clinical trial in treating this illness.

Despite all these setbacks James maintains a great spirit, even claiming he will remain strongly committed to the program.  James is truly a solid individual; a dear friend, humble student and hardworking resident to all of us who have had the pleasure of knowing him.

This news has obviously shaken everyone in our program. We are trying to establish a fund to help lessen his family's financial burden for the medical expenses. The USC OMS family is asking for your financial support for one of our very own.

Please direct your donations to the following:
Dr. James Le
c/o Marsh Robinson Academy of OMFS
7859 Calobar Avenue
Whittier CA 90606

Please make your check payable to Marsh Robinson Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

We will gather the fund and present it to James and his mother Suzy Nguyen in Garden Grove, CA.  Any amount is appreciated.  We thank you in advance for your kind consideration.  Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at osurgery@gmail.com

Sincerely,
Ian Woo, MS, DDS, MD
Chief Resident, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery LAC/USC Medical Center-Los Angeles, CA