A comedian with cancer will be able to fulfill his dying wish thanks to Kickstarter. Quincy Jones, a 32-year-old stand-up in Los Angeles, was diagnosed with stage 4 Mesothelioma in July 2015 and given one year to live. His only wish was to film a stand-up special before he died, which, given how long it normally takes for a comedian to get their own stand-up special, didn’t seem possible. But, Quincy’s friend, producer Nicole Blaine, and her husband set up a Kickstarter campaign in hopes of raising enough money to produce the special. In the project’s video, Quincy explains why making a stand-up special means so much to him: “My biggest fear used to be, before cancer, it’s the same one I have now: dying without leaving anything, dying before I have the chance to do the s*** I wanna do,” he explains. “This would be my opus, this would be my legacy, that I’m just leaving here.”
After only two hours, the Kickstarter met its goal of $4,985, but pledges keep rolling in. With 23 days to go, the campaign has made $31,340. The additional money, Blaine says, will go toward making the special “more incredible” and getting it done quickly enough for Quincy to be able to see it. In a Facebook post, Blaine expresses Quincy’s and her own gratitude at the overwhelming response of their backers:
My hands have been shaking for hours and I can’t stop bursting into tears. How can I thank you all? I’m moved and speechless. Today, while my 32-year-old friend, Quincy Jones, was getting chemotherapy at a county hospital in Los Angeles, hundreds of people came together at the exact same time to make his dying wish come true. He was half-conscious when it was happening. In two hours of launching the Kickstarter campaign, our little goal was met. When Quincy opened his eyes, he discovered the love and support. His dream to film a stand-up comedy special just became a reality. Because of you ALL. It’s amazing what can happen when people come together.
The comedy community has come together in a way that has made me cry. I don’t know what to say. Thank you is an understatement.
The laughter that Quincy creates will now be able to live on past his short time here.
