Charlie Craigo - Medical Expenses & Bills

5/1 update shared by Charles Craigo:
Hello Everyone Thanks for all the donations, kind words about my mother, words of encouragement, continued prayers and all together good vibes that ya'll have been giving me throughout this process.   I love and respect everyone who has taken the time out their busy schedule to say HI and Get Well!!  It makes the day go by faster and is nice knowing the local support I have and hopefully when I"m back to dancing we can all get together and hang out.   I love ya'll all from the bottom of my heart and My family is greatly Thankful as well. 

So I received all the dates from my doctors to share the most accurate timeline.
I was born Dec.21st 1987. I lived  25 years, 7 months 24 days as a normal what I thought at the time healthy life not knowing I had the disease.
August.14th 2013 was the date I was floored with the news I was Hep-C positive and my liver already had cirrhosis from the disease.
August 2nd 2016 I had an upper bleed in my esophagus where they flew me out to Baltimore from Berkeley in Martinsburg WV.
April.13 2019 Liver Failure.
April.17,2019 Kidney Failure due to liver failure.
April 17,2019 Anemia (Blood Transfusion) probably from the millions of tubes they would take out twice a day for labs.
Apri.17,2019 Shock.
April 17,2019 AKI (acute kidney injury).

Now this will go back a little explaining treatment of the disease.
August. 2013 first met the People Champion - The Best Doctor in this world as in my opinion Matthew Simmons Infectious Disease Doctor.  This Mans a Godsend Angel if he's in your corner set back and let him take the will because he's one of the best you can have taking care of you there's not another doctor in this world that would do the things he will do for you.  He's a man that wont lose a fight if its for the best care for his patient, he's extremely thorough.
October 2013 he started me on the older hep-c drugs which was my first treatment. The results of the treatment were my load count (the measurement used to measure the disease) was when we started in the 100 millions and unfortunately got the load down to 100,000 but that number wouldn't budge so they had to stop treatment so it wouldnt hurt my body anymore without results.  It sucked all that being sick from treatment and still going to work and still in the end be hep-c positive.
2014 treatment with another drug that didnt work (intervil).
2016 Harvoni drops 12 weeks worth of treatment just a simple pill no side effects I could recall other than no dairy, Bam Hep-c free miracle pill. My geno type of the disease since i got it from my mom they approved me for another treatment so I did another 12 weeks just to make sure no hep-c was laid dormant.
Hep-C Negative since 2016. In the Six years from after treatment up until being transplanted started getting Asetes. Asetes is where the cirrhosis in the liver so bad that the liber leaks into your stomach filling up with fluid. So to relieve this every other Wednesday I had to go to the hospital to get fluid pumped out my belly. Each time they could only take out 10 liters at a time that's 22 lbs of fluid, This is why i looked skinny but had a huge stomach that pushed out. i also developed a umbilical hernia that was about the dimensions of a can of soup not the most flattering thing to have sticking out from a already huge stomach. Then the end 4-18-19 new healthy liver. So in conclusion 8/2016 almost bled out , 4/19 liver failure 30 days from the dirt,2 near death experiences. So 25 years of living care free, 6 years knowing and treatment and stressing and being sick than ya'll knew (lol)

The best news is I estimate I have 83 years on this liver.  I can now live my best life that puts me at 115 to die happy.

I'm blessed to have ya'll raise $4,535 by 70 in only 9 days!!!!  Please continue to share my store and Thanks again Love Charles.A.Craigo III


Created Go Fund Me 4/24
Dear friends. Charlie Craigo has been on the waiting list for quite some time to receive a new liver.  His miracle finally happened 4/18. 
 Charlie's liver transplant surgery lasted 6 hours at Univesary of Maryland Medical Center.  He's still in ICU and doing well THANK GOD!! Let's do what we can to help Charlie Craigo and his family with medical expenses, gas, food and overall daily bills.  
Sharing Charlie's life story on how/why this all happened.  PLEASE take a minute to read, donate, share his story to support him and his family.   Thank you!!! 

Alright guys I'm going to step away and tell ya'll how I got to this point in my life so everyone has a better understanding.   My mother Tina Dillow and her sister Tammy Dillow were diagnosed as hemophiliacs when they were very young from a disease called Vanwilderbrahns disease.  Being a hemophilia if they were cut (even the slightest) or nose bleeds they would have to go to the hospital to assist with clotting because their body couldn't clot on its own.  
With doing this came numerous blood transfusions.  In earlier years blood wasn't screened for diseases like today.   Unfortunately my mom Tina Dillow at a young age wound up with HEP C without knowing.   Mom decide to risk her life  knowing she may not survive child birth brought me into the world 12/21/87 Way before the 90's before doctors started sceeening babies for blood diseases.  After my birth mom had several urgent blood transfusions to survive and without anyone knowing at the time she contracted HIV which sadly led to her death when I was 6 years old.  All because the blood she received wasn't screened.    So now I'm fast forwarding my life at the age of 22 is where my liver issues start.   I had a blood test checking for diabetes and the Doctor immediately called me into his office to share I was diagnosed with HEP C since birth.  I was floored.  The doctor shared my liver already showed  signs of cirrhosis.  I wound up in a state of depression....why me???  I scheduled appointments at the Infectious Diease clinic and started treatment.  My numbers started in the millions and slowly dropped to thousands.  I had to stop taking the drugs which were helping with the HEPC.  The drugs were deterrating other parts of my body and my liver.  It was a very hard decision.  Basically to much risk without reward.  So I'm still 22 with HEPC and cirrhosis of the liver.  Not your normal life style at such a young age.  I continued working  until one day I experienced an esophagus bleed caused from the liver build up pressure which caused life threatening internal bleeding.  I was helicoptered to University Maryland Medical Center and added to the list to receive a liver.  I had to stop working to ensure/eliminate the 2nd chance of bleeding again. Doctors advised not to take the chance therefore I was put on Disability.  I continued living my life with HEPC and cirrhosis the best I could with a positive attitude.  I was approved for continued treatment drug called Harvoni to help with the HEPC.  The cost was $100,000.00 for a 3 months supply.  I received 6 months of treatment totaling $200K.  Well it worked!!! I'm thankfully HEPC free but  I was still suffering from cirrhosis of the liver and was in need of a transplant to live.  Mentally I was drained.  

Well no no more complications until I turned 30.  Then I was diagnosed with Acites.  This is when the liver leakes fluids into your stomach because it can't keep up with your body. One of the worst feelings EVER!!  Every 2 weeks I had to go to the Berkeley Medical Center for a procedure pumping 10lbs or more of fluid from my stomach.  I was also put on lasics to help.  I was now exhausted.  In March 2019 I encountered  a horrible case of cellulitis.  I was hospitalized and received drip antibiotics.  A week later I went back to receive my fluid stomach pump and the doctors were very concerned.  They helicoptered me out ASAP to University Maryland Medical Center.  From 4/13/19 through 4/18/19 I underwent multiple tests and procedures and on 4/18/19 I was blessed with a new liver!!!!   AFTER the transplant I was told by my doctors my old liver was in such bad shape it had to be scraped out it was so cirrotic and basically I only had about 30 days to live!  WOW!! God is good!! So it's 4/23 and I have a new liver and a whole new life to live pain free!!   I  love ya'll and THANK YOU for your continued kindness, thoughts, prayers and donations.  My medical expenses are going to be huge....in the $200,000.00 range even after my insurance pays 80%.  I need your good vibes with my new life and feel so BLESSED and THANKFUl!!  Thanks for taking the time to read my story and helping me.  I will continue to be the best Father I can be for Little Charlie and Lindsey.  I love them so much!!  Again THANK YOU for your continued donations and sharing my story!!  Love you all!!  Charles Craigo....the man with a new liver and life!! ❤️  
 To our class of 1986 family let's help our beloved Tina Dillow Craigo's son as she looks down on us during her sons time of need.   No donation is too small.  Thank you for your kindness to help Lindsey and his little 1 year old  son Sending Blessings and appreciation!!