Bill and Lisa's transplant journey.

Dear Friends, Family, and Kind-hearted Strangers,

I am reaching out to you today with a heavy heart and a hopeful spirit to ask for your support for my dad, who is in urgent need of a liver transplant. Here’s his story:

For over 20 years, my dad has been living with type 2 diabetes, and in 2017, he was diagnosed with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Despite managing his condition diligently, our world was turned upside down in February 2021 when he contracted COVID-19. The following month, he was hospitalized with severe abdominal fluid buildup, and we were devastatingly told that he was in end-stage liver failure. Thankfully, this diagnosis was later found to be incorrect, and he was discharged with some relief.

Unfortunately, the relief was short-lived. By September 2021, dad had to undergo a procedure called paracentesis to drain the fluid from his abdomen. From then on, his condition progressively worsened. Between September 2021 and November 2022, he had four more paracenteses. His gastroenterologist then referred him to the liver transplant specialists at Nazhi Zuhdi in Oklahoma City.

Since December 2022, dad has had to undergo roughly weekly paracenteses. (This adds up to about 80) In addition to this, he started experiencing Hepatic Encephalopathy, a condition where excess ammonia affects the brain. His health declined to the point where, in December 2023, he needed a procedure called TIPS (Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt) to alleviate his symptoms.

My dad has always been a pillar of strength and passion. He loves basketball and, besides his full-time job, has worked stats for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Oral Roberts University basketball teams since 2015. However, his frequent hospital stays due to Hepatic Encephalopathy have forced him to step away from these roles thus a decline in income.

Our family has faced many challenges. My mom, dad’s primary caregiver, has been on disability since 2007 due to Ankylosing Spondylitis (look it up, its gnarly! And not in a good way!) and is now also dealing with stage 3 kidney disease. Despite her own health struggles, she has been a constant support for dad. However, due to these illnesses, she also is facing health issues that need to be addressed.

Dad's full-time employer has been incredibly supportive, allowing him to keep his job as long as he is able to work. However, the increasing frequency of hospital stays means he is unable to work regularly, resulting in a significant loss of income. In May 2024, dad was finally placed on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) list, giving us hope for a liver transplant. However, as of May 2024, due to Hepatic Encephalopathy dad has only been able to work 2 days of the month. Again, if he does not get to work, he does not get paid. Unfortunately, we are moving to a point in this journey where he is sick more often than he is well and we do not expect this to change prior to a transplant. We are facing uncertainty of when or how often he will have stable income.

We are now at a critical juncture where we need your help. The funds raised will be used for:

• Medical bills and deductibles

• Co-pays

• Loss of work income

• Travel expenses for treatments.

• Items not covered by insurance.

• Anti-rejection medications post-transplant

Your support, no matter the amount, will make a tremendous difference in our lives. Please consider donating and sharing our story with your networks. Together, we can give dad the chance to enjoy more years of his life and selfishly more time with time with his family. We welcome any prayers, love and light and sharing if you find yourself unable to donate monetarily.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity and support.

With gratitude,

Victoria and The Hancock Family