Save Tex Foundation

We are calling on your assistance to help raise money for our dear friend's medical and basic living expenses. We know he would never ask anyone for help, so we are going to do this on his behalf. He has given us permission to do so, because quite frankly, our options as relatively poor SCUBA community are limited. While visiting family in the US about 10 months ago, James was diagnosed with hepatitis C and sclerosis of the liver . They believe James got the Hep C from a tainted blood transfusion decades earlier in the US. Recently, James returned to Thailand to live inexpensively with his girlfriend Gor to wait for a new Hep C medication that currently being approved by the FDA. James's genome type is such that the currently available medication will not work. He has 6 months or so to wait until this treatment is available. This treatment should be covered under his US medical insurance at home, but we need to keep him alive for 6 months until he can be treated.

Two nights ago, Gor was awakened in the middle of the night, James was having seizures. He had 3 in total that night. I saw James later that morning at my hotel when I came downstairs to meet him for lunch and saw the entire place in shock. James had just finished having another seizure. We sent him to hospital by ambulance where test were run. During the couple hours in emergency, while getting his tests, James had 3 more seizures. He was kept over night for observation and more tests, but as this hospital does not have any resident specialists, they came back with no answers.

We are raising money to send James and his family to Surat Thani, Thailand. There, James will be able to meet with a liver specialist to better diagnose and care for the cause of these seizures. With every seizure James has, his chance of survival decreases so time is of the essence. We are also raising money for their living expenses so that Gor may leave work to care for James and the kids. James would normally care for the children while Gor works, but this task has become too much for him to bear. Their living expenses are very modest as James and his family live rather humbly in Thailand.

James has a chance to cure his Hep C which will allow his liver to recover from sclerosis if we can get him the attention he needs. At a minimum, curing the Hep C will allow him to get on a liver transplant list. He cannot get a liver transplant until he cures his Hep C.

We are hoping to raise a minimum of €9990 to help cover his medical costs, rent, and food for at least 6 months. There is an effort to raise funds already in progress In the local community where James used to live. However, with the recent instability in Bangkok, tourism is expected to be very low this season and we may not be able to raise the amount that is needed within the community alone. Good friends are hard to come by. Help us keep this good man alive! James's family, friends, the people of Chumphon city and the community of Khao Lak thank you for assistance.