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Cancer is ‘terminal,’ Willie K says in Facebook post

Jason Genegabus
STAR-ADVERTISER / 2008
                                After being diagnosed with lung cancer in early 2018, Maui-based entertainer Willie Kahaiali‘i, better known as Willie K, announced via Facebook this week that his diagnosis is terminal.
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STAR-ADVERTISER / 2008

After being diagnosed with lung cancer in early 2018, Maui-based entertainer Willie Kahaiali‘i, better known as Willie K, announced via Facebook this week that his diagnosis is terminal.

After being diagnosed with lung cancer in early 2018, Maui-based entertainer Willie Kahaiali‘i, better known as Willie K, announced via Facebook this week that his diagnosis is terminal.

“Yes, I’m at terminal now,” Kahaiali’i said after a 90-minute concert at the Blue Note Waikiki turned into a 2-hour performance on Wednesday night. “I’m still going to be rocking. I’m not going to stop. This cancer is not going to take me down, especially with all the blessings from each and every one of you. Praise God.”

Kahaiali‘i canceled all of his regularly scheduled gigs after learning he had small cell carcinoma lung cancer in February 2018, and began chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He later returned to performing on both Maui and Oahu, with regularly scheduled gigs at the Blue Note.

A GoFundMe.com campaign remains open to help raise funds for Kahaiali’i.

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