Home Alone Santa Ken Hudson Campbell ‘burst into tears’ after GoFundMe reveal

Ken Hudson Campbell, famous for his role as Santa in the 1990 Christmas classic Home Alone, has recently undergone successful surgery to remove his cancer.

Ken recently had the tumor removed, which involved a lengthy 10-hour procedure. During the surgery, doctors removed his lymph nodes and a significant portion of his jawbone.

Before the surgery, Ken's family initiated a GoFundMe campaign with the aim of raising funds for various medical needs.

The fundraiser has not only achieved but exceeded its initial target of $100,000, leaving Ken deeply moved and even shedding tears due to the overwhelming support he has received.

Read more: Steve Carell donates $10,000 to help Home Alone star's cancer battle

Ken's daughter, Michaela, recently discussed her father's health challenges with People. She revealed that he had been diagnosed with a specific type of cancer.

"It's called squamous cell carcinoma," Michaela explained. "It was a big tumor in his mouth. The last two years he's gotten lots of biopsies done and they've tried to control it. And it was only this year that it just got very, very aggressive. So when he got his biopsy in October, that is when we got the diagnosis."

Squamous cell carcinoma affects roughly 35,000 Americans annually. It's most commonly identified by scaly red patches or raised lesions. While not usually life-threatening, it can become severe and spread if not treated promptly.

Ken underwent a major surgery to get rid of his tumor this past week. The operation, lasting about 10 hours, involved removing his lymph nodes and a significant portion of his jawbone.

To reconstruct Ken's jaw, surgeons used a piece of his leg bone. Post surgery, Michaela shared that her dad was recovering well in the ICU.

"He is conscious and they took him off of his respirator, so he's breathing by himself," she stated. "They said that thwereey able to take all of the cancer out as well so he won't need chemotherapy."

Michaela set up a GoFundMe page to help cover her dad’s medical bills. The fundraiser saw generous contributions from several celebrities, including The Office star Steve Carell, Jeff Garlin, and Tim Meadows, as well as from Bill Prady, the co-creator of Big Bang Theory.

Ken has been deeply moved by the outpouring of support and heartfelt messages on the fundraising platform.

"The first day we posted it, every time he read something, he would just burst into tears," she said. "It was the first time he really got emotional about the whole situation. It was kind of a shock to him to feel so loved."