Help Justin Byrnes Fight Cancer

An update from Justin's Mom on 2/26/2025:

After an intense 10-hour surgery, we received the news we've been praying for—Justin’s doctors have cleared him of all cancer cells. Thankfully, the cancer didn't spread to his nerves or the lymph nodes they were worried about. The best news of all is that his margins are looking great!

He did lose 30% of his tongue during the surgery, but they were able to reconstruct it using a skin graft from his forearm. The tattoo on his forearm, which read "Create, Explore, Expand, Conquer," now lives on in his reconstructed tongue, with the word "Conquer" forever a part of it. We haven’t asked the doctor yet but I can’t help to believe it was done on purpose as a reminder of his strength. They also used a vein from his arm for the reconstruction, and they replaced the skin taken from his arm with a graft from his leg. They also removed all the lymph nodes on his right side.

It’s been an incredibly long 24 hours. Justin is in a lot of pain, his tongue is swollen, and he has a trachea to help him breathe along with a feeding tube. He’s not able to speak, but he has a whiteboard so he can write, and a chart he can point to in order to communicate his needs. I’ve stayed the night by his side, and doctors are checking on him every two hours to ensure the graft is healing well and the vein isn’t clotting. The nurses are also in regularly to monitor his vitals and manage his pain. He’ll need to stay in the hospital until next week to make sure everything is healing properly. He will go through a healing process for 6 weeks and then undergo radiation daily for six weeks.

I can’t express enough how much we appreciate all your prayers, messages, and support. It truly means the world to us.

XO

Denise

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Hi everyone,

My name is Eric Chan, and I’m creating this fundraiser for my best friend, Justin Byrnes. If you’ve ever met Justin, you know he’s one of the most selfless, hardworking, and kind-hearted people around. He’s always the first to lend a hand, the guy who shows up when you need him most. Now, he’s the one who needs our help.

Justin was recently diagnosed with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC), an aggressive form of tongue cancer. He will undergo a major surgery at Yale to remove part of his tongue and all of the lymph nodes on the right side of his neck. In an extraordinary procedure, doctors will reconstruct his tongue using skin from his right forearm—tattoo and all—then use skin from his thigh to heal his arm.

To ensure he can breathe safely during and after surgery, he will have a tracheotomy. He will remain in the hospital for at least a week, followed by a six-week recovery period, during which he will need intense therapy to learn how to speak and swallow again with his reconstructed tongue. After that, he will begin six weeks of daily radiation treatments to eliminate any remaining cancer cells.

Justin will have to step away from his personal mechanic business for at least three to four months, a devastating financial hit for someone who runs his shop solo. Even after treatment, Justin has been told that he will need lifelong monitoring to ensure the cancer doesn’t return— a sobering reality for someone who is only 29, an age when no one should have to worry about lifelong medical concerns.

This diagnosis is not just physically and emotionally overwhelming—it’s also a huge financial burden. The combination of lost income and significant out-of-pocket medical expenses is creating an incredibly daunting road ahead for him.

That’s where we come in.

We’re asking for your support to help Justin focus on what matters most: beating cancer and recovering. Every donation will go directly to Justin, helping him cover out-of-pocket medical costs and sustaining him through his recovery while he is unable to work. If you can contribute, no amount is too small—every dollar makes a difference. If you’re unable to donate, simply sharing this fundraiser would mean the world.

Let’s come together and show Justin that he is not alone in this fight. Thank you all for your love, generosity, and support.

*All donations will be sent from GoFundMe directly to Justin’s personal bank account.