'Home Alone' actor Ken Hudson Campbell is in 'very good condition' after crowdfunded cancer surgery
Ken Hudson Campbell, known as Santa in "Home Alone," has had successful cancer-related surgery that was crowdfunded by fans and supporters after the actor lost his SAG-AFTRA health insurance.
"The cancer was removed successfully, and his jaw bone has been reconstructed from his fibula and attached," said Campbell's daughter Michaela on her GoFundMe page over the weekend. "Despite the swelling and incisions, he looks great." The surgery took place Thursday.
Campbell was diagnosed in October with squamous cell carcinoma, Michaela Campbell previously told People. It's a type of skin cancer that is typically not life-threatening but can spread to other parts of the body and can cause serious complications, according to the Mayo Clinic. A cancerous tumor had grown from the bottom of his mouth and started to spread toward his teeth, according to the GoFundMe page .
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Earlier this month, Michaela started a crowdfunding campaign to help fund her father's "10-hour surgery," where physicians would remove part of his jawbone, lymph nodes and part of a leg bone. They would then use the leg bone section to reconstruct his jaw, and then treat him with radiation. Campbell would then face a complicated and costly six-month recovery, which includes skin graphs, physical therapy, dental implants and possibly chemotherapy.
Ken Campbell, who is best known for his small roles in "Home Alone," "Armageddon" and "Groundhog Day," lost his SAG-AFTRA health insurance after going without work during the pandemic, according to the GoFundMe, which surpassed its goal of $100,000 . Among the top donors were fellow actors Steve Carrell, Bob Odenkirk, Yeardley Smith (known as Lisa on "The Simpsons") and "The Big Bang Theory" co-creator Bill Prady.
The day after Campbell's surgery, according to his daughter, he was "in very good condition" as medical staff took him off a respirator and he was able to breathe on his own. He was not able to speak yet but was giving hand signals and writing down his thoughts.
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"He's been making small improvements in different ways as each day goes by," Michaela Campbell said. "Our family has been overwhelmed with all of your kind words, well wishes and donations."
Earlier this year, the family of actor Erik Jensen, best known for his TV roles in “The Walking Dead” and “Mr. Robot,” also turned to crowdfunding for cancer treatment. He was diagnosed last week with Stage 4 colorectal cancer, and although Jensen still has his SAG-AFTRA insurance, his family had been financially strained amid the historic Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes.
A GoFundMe campaign started in October was able to raise more than $100,000, short of its $300,000 goal. That donor list included actor Nick Offerman and his wife and fellow actor, Megan Mullally, Donna Lynne Champlin of “My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “WandaVision” director Matt Shakman, “Oz” creator Tom Fontana and the nonprofit Broadway Cares. Emily Kinney also contributed; she starred as Beth Greene in “The Walking Dead” throughout the show’s 12-year run, including Season 5, where she acted alongside Jensen.
Funds would be used to help pay for chemotherapy and surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, which had spread to his liver.
“Stage IV is not a death sentence,” said a statement on the fundraising page. “Erik is determined to make it through this, and he’s working incredibly hard to stay positive and fight for the shot that his doctors know he has.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
