Fund a Miracle—Help Randy
Donation protected
On Friday, October 28th, Randy Thill was given “a matter of days” to live. He was losing his fight against primary sclerosing cholangitis, an autoimmune liver disease. Dozens of family members and friends, including his wife Britton and 9-year-old son Ashton, gathered at the hospital, doing their best to comfort Randy and each other in the face of tragedy.
Even though Randy’s friends and family had known for years how sick he was, it had been easy to forget. Up to that day, he never complained. He never lost his humor. He never stopped working or helping others or spending time with his son or trying his best to enjoy his life despite how quickly his body was deteriorating. In the weeks leading up to his dire prognosis, Randy went camping, helped Ashton build a spaceship in the garage, and worked on his basement. He was the same Randy that everyone loves.
He decided to spend his last days at home once the doctors put him on hospice care. Friends and family did all they could to help. Britton stayed up around the clock as his primary caregiver. Good friends from Texas stayed with the family to help out. More friends brought meals and flowers and gifts—anything they could do to make the situation a little bit easier. Everyone hoped that Randy would be able to die as peacefully as possible.
But Randy didn’t die. “A matter of days” went by—nearly a month and a half—and his color and clarity improved. He even started leaving the house with the family to run errands and get food. So Britton decided to have him retested at the hospital to see what was happening. His liver function had improved, and his oxygen level was better. His MELD score (a number given to patients with liver failure to gauge their condition) had dropped from 39 to 19. This meant that his health was now good enough for the family to pursue a liver transplant once again. Randy wasn’t ready to give up just yet, apparently.
Britton, Ashton, Randy, and his father-in-law Kelly decided to seize the unexpected moment. They flew to a cutting-edge liver center in Chicago that specializes in bloodless organ transplants to see if they would be willing to take on Randy’s case. After a few meetings with the surgery team, the liver center moved forward with testing, and a living donor was found and is now being tested as well. Randy still has a long way to go, and there are many possible complications. But on the hope that a modern-day miracle could be possible, his family is staying with him in Chicago and doing everything they can to help him fight this horrible disease.
To all of you who have helped so much over the last few months, the family thanks you more than they can express. Randy has truly been blessed with a wonderful group of family and friends. Unfortunately, though, the bills are mounting. Neither Randy nor Britton have been able to work for some months, and now they are forced to stay in Chicago for an unknown length of time. The living donor, too, will need accommodations and financial help.
If you are in a position to help Randy and his family, they will be forever grateful. Randy has done his part—he’s earned the love and respect of everyone he’s known, and he’s fought back from impossible odds. Now he just needs a little help from all of us to finish the fight.
Even though Randy’s friends and family had known for years how sick he was, it had been easy to forget. Up to that day, he never complained. He never lost his humor. He never stopped working or helping others or spending time with his son or trying his best to enjoy his life despite how quickly his body was deteriorating. In the weeks leading up to his dire prognosis, Randy went camping, helped Ashton build a spaceship in the garage, and worked on his basement. He was the same Randy that everyone loves.
He decided to spend his last days at home once the doctors put him on hospice care. Friends and family did all they could to help. Britton stayed up around the clock as his primary caregiver. Good friends from Texas stayed with the family to help out. More friends brought meals and flowers and gifts—anything they could do to make the situation a little bit easier. Everyone hoped that Randy would be able to die as peacefully as possible.
But Randy didn’t die. “A matter of days” went by—nearly a month and a half—and his color and clarity improved. He even started leaving the house with the family to run errands and get food. So Britton decided to have him retested at the hospital to see what was happening. His liver function had improved, and his oxygen level was better. His MELD score (a number given to patients with liver failure to gauge their condition) had dropped from 39 to 19. This meant that his health was now good enough for the family to pursue a liver transplant once again. Randy wasn’t ready to give up just yet, apparently.
Britton, Ashton, Randy, and his father-in-law Kelly decided to seize the unexpected moment. They flew to a cutting-edge liver center in Chicago that specializes in bloodless organ transplants to see if they would be willing to take on Randy’s case. After a few meetings with the surgery team, the liver center moved forward with testing, and a living donor was found and is now being tested as well. Randy still has a long way to go, and there are many possible complications. But on the hope that a modern-day miracle could be possible, his family is staying with him in Chicago and doing everything they can to help him fight this horrible disease.
To all of you who have helped so much over the last few months, the family thanks you more than they can express. Randy has truly been blessed with a wonderful group of family and friends. Unfortunately, though, the bills are mounting. Neither Randy nor Britton have been able to work for some months, and now they are forced to stay in Chicago for an unknown length of time. The living donor, too, will need accommodations and financial help.
If you are in a position to help Randy and his family, they will be forever grateful. Randy has done his part—he’s earned the love and respect of everyone he’s known, and he’s fought back from impossible odds. Now he just needs a little help from all of us to finish the fight.
Organizer and beneficiary
Nick Hertzog
Organizer
Larkspur, CO
Britton Thill
Beneficiary