William's Funeral & Memorial Fund
Donation protected
My name is Lisa. I am a single mom of 4 boys. I have lost one son and I am praying not to lose another. My family could use some help, so I am hoping that you can find it in your heart to provide any assistance that you are able to. They say it takes a village and I know that all too well. Let me tell you about my son, William's story.
William is a remarkable young man. He has a two-year old little boy, Greyson. William was born with a condition called, "Mid-gut volvulus". This means that his intestines were born on the outside of his body. Shortly after birth, he had multiple surgeries, which resulted in what they call "short gut syndrome". It required William to be on IV fluids to live. He had numerous surgeries until the age of 9, when he was placed on the National Transplant List for intestines. William received the transplant and unfortunately, after one month, his body rejected the new intestines and they had to be removed. Because of the need for long-term IV fluids, William went into liver failure. At the age of 10, William received the gifts of a liver, intestines, pancreas, and bone marrow. He was given the prognosis of 2 weeks to 6 months to survive after the transplant. William is a fighter, with a strong will to live. It's been 22 years and he is now 31 years old.
Finally, William had a normal life, until March of 2021, when he suffered a medical crisis. He again, required IV fluids to survive and endured multiple surgeries. William has encountered many obstacles and has spent the majority of the last year in and out of the hospital due to non-stop complications. William is currently in the hospital and again on the National Transplant List. William is waiting for 5 organs: liver, intestine, pancreas, stomach, and kidney. This is a complicated surgery with a 67% chance of survival. No one ever thought he would be here again. We know that William can beat the odds. If history repeats itself, he can live a normal life, and be a dad to Greyson.
This is the tough part. Asking for help doesn't come easy for me. William has a long road ahead of him. He is currently at the top of the transplant list, so his surgery can occur at any time. After the transplant, doctors anticipate a minimum of one month in the intensive care unit followed by months hospitalized. Upon discharge from the hospital, depending on William's needs, he will have to stay close to the hospital in Pittsburgh for 3 to 5 weeks to do daily visits. As his mom and power of attorney, I will be with William every day through this long journey. Expenses we expect to be incurred for travel, lodging, home living, medical expenses, food, and basic things while William is in the hospital and then when he returns home will be extremely high.
I am hoping OUR caring community will be able to help ease the financial burden for OUR family to be there every step of the way. Any donations will allow our family to focus on the most important thing --- William's recovery and healing.
As you can imagine our anxiety is extremely high with the stress of transplant, recovery, and finances. Any donation, whatever you give, makes a huge impact on him and our family. My sincerest "THANK YOU" to all who made this outcome possible. I am also asking that you keep William and my family in your prayers and thoughts as we navigate this difficult road ahead.
Thank you for taking the time and allowing us to share William's story. PLEASE consider becoming an organ donor and let YOUR legacy live on.
William is a remarkable young man. He has a two-year old little boy, Greyson. William was born with a condition called, "Mid-gut volvulus". This means that his intestines were born on the outside of his body. Shortly after birth, he had multiple surgeries, which resulted in what they call "short gut syndrome". It required William to be on IV fluids to live. He had numerous surgeries until the age of 9, when he was placed on the National Transplant List for intestines. William received the transplant and unfortunately, after one month, his body rejected the new intestines and they had to be removed. Because of the need for long-term IV fluids, William went into liver failure. At the age of 10, William received the gifts of a liver, intestines, pancreas, and bone marrow. He was given the prognosis of 2 weeks to 6 months to survive after the transplant. William is a fighter, with a strong will to live. It's been 22 years and he is now 31 years old.
Finally, William had a normal life, until March of 2021, when he suffered a medical crisis. He again, required IV fluids to survive and endured multiple surgeries. William has encountered many obstacles and has spent the majority of the last year in and out of the hospital due to non-stop complications. William is currently in the hospital and again on the National Transplant List. William is waiting for 5 organs: liver, intestine, pancreas, stomach, and kidney. This is a complicated surgery with a 67% chance of survival. No one ever thought he would be here again. We know that William can beat the odds. If history repeats itself, he can live a normal life, and be a dad to Greyson.
This is the tough part. Asking for help doesn't come easy for me. William has a long road ahead of him. He is currently at the top of the transplant list, so his surgery can occur at any time. After the transplant, doctors anticipate a minimum of one month in the intensive care unit followed by months hospitalized. Upon discharge from the hospital, depending on William's needs, he will have to stay close to the hospital in Pittsburgh for 3 to 5 weeks to do daily visits. As his mom and power of attorney, I will be with William every day through this long journey. Expenses we expect to be incurred for travel, lodging, home living, medical expenses, food, and basic things while William is in the hospital and then when he returns home will be extremely high.
I am hoping OUR caring community will be able to help ease the financial burden for OUR family to be there every step of the way. Any donations will allow our family to focus on the most important thing --- William's recovery and healing.
As you can imagine our anxiety is extremely high with the stress of transplant, recovery, and finances. Any donation, whatever you give, makes a huge impact on him and our family. My sincerest "THANK YOU" to all who made this outcome possible. I am also asking that you keep William and my family in your prayers and thoughts as we navigate this difficult road ahead.
Thank you for taking the time and allowing us to share William's story. PLEASE consider becoming an organ donor and let YOUR legacy live on.
Update on William.....William passed away on July 13, 2022. He fought so hard to the end. He will always be a brave and courageous hero to all who knew and loved him. William will always be remembered for his kindness and remarkable personality. He was great at bringing people together. He is now resting among the angels with his brother pain free and happy. He will always and forever be my other guardian angel !!! All donations are appreciated to help with final expenses. We will be setting up a non-profit with leftover funds to carry on William's memory to help other families with the transplant expenses. It will be #William'sGift.
Organizer
Lisa Maris
Organizer
Johnstown, PA
