Memorial Fund for David Confer
Donation protected
Please help David die with dignity.
Cate, his beloved, says...
David was diagnosed with Cirrhosis of the liver in 2019. He spent 2019 and most of early 2020 diligently working with a Transplant Hepatologist at Georgetown University Hospital, who maintained that he would be able to get David a liver transplant, in spite of his treatment for Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2017. As 2019 progressed into 2020, David began dealing with fluid retention, ruptured esophageal varices, and Ascites (that’s when your liver function is so reduced that fluid builds up in your abdomen). He underwent multiple surgeries and frequent tests to maintain his health with the goal of receiving a liver transplant.
By the spring of 2020 David was unable to ride a bike, or even walk around the block in our beloved neighborhood. His world was limited to our home, the yard, and trips to the hospital. He did some work on bicycles, until his hands could no longer hold tools.
In September, he went to the ER and was admitted to an intensive care unit, where a truly compassionate doctor let him know that he was not going to get a liver transplant, and that he never was a candidate for a transplant because of his recent history of cancer, along with heart complications from the cancer. While this was devastating, it was a relief to have someone care enough to be honest with him. He is suffering from Hepatic Encephalopathy which causes dementia-like symptoms.
David had a catheter inserted in his abdomen to allow us to drain fluid at home, and he came home to spend his last few months with me, our cat, and to connect with his friends and family.
I have fought as long and hard as I can to secure professional caregiving and nursing assistance at home, and I have been unable to get it. Hospice wants to remove him from our home and put him in a facility, and I promised him that he would be able to die at home. David does not want to die alone in a nursing home or hospital.
We need some financial assistance because as Entertainment professionals we have been out of work since March, and our unemployment has run out. I did not want to ask for help as so many of our friends are in equally desperate straits, but I need help paying out rent, David’s cremation, and if I can’t secure home care assistance through his health insurance I will need to hire a caregiver.
We are grateful for any assistance.
Cate, his beloved, says...
David was diagnosed with Cirrhosis of the liver in 2019. He spent 2019 and most of early 2020 diligently working with a Transplant Hepatologist at Georgetown University Hospital, who maintained that he would be able to get David a liver transplant, in spite of his treatment for Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2017. As 2019 progressed into 2020, David began dealing with fluid retention, ruptured esophageal varices, and Ascites (that’s when your liver function is so reduced that fluid builds up in your abdomen). He underwent multiple surgeries and frequent tests to maintain his health with the goal of receiving a liver transplant.
By the spring of 2020 David was unable to ride a bike, or even walk around the block in our beloved neighborhood. His world was limited to our home, the yard, and trips to the hospital. He did some work on bicycles, until his hands could no longer hold tools.
In September, he went to the ER and was admitted to an intensive care unit, where a truly compassionate doctor let him know that he was not going to get a liver transplant, and that he never was a candidate for a transplant because of his recent history of cancer, along with heart complications from the cancer. While this was devastating, it was a relief to have someone care enough to be honest with him. He is suffering from Hepatic Encephalopathy which causes dementia-like symptoms.
David had a catheter inserted in his abdomen to allow us to drain fluid at home, and he came home to spend his last few months with me, our cat, and to connect with his friends and family.
I have fought as long and hard as I can to secure professional caregiving and nursing assistance at home, and I have been unable to get it. Hospice wants to remove him from our home and put him in a facility, and I promised him that he would be able to die at home. David does not want to die alone in a nursing home or hospital.
We need some financial assistance because as Entertainment professionals we have been out of work since March, and our unemployment has run out. I did not want to ask for help as so many of our friends are in equally desperate straits, but I need help paying out rent, David’s cremation, and if I can’t secure home care assistance through his health insurance I will need to hire a caregiver.
We are grateful for any assistance.
Organizer and beneficiary
Lizzy Harrison
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC
Catherine Cohen
Beneficiary
