In 2019, my dad began a courageous battle against T-cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He endured multiple rounds of weekly chemotherapy, and by the grace of that treatment, he has now been cancer-free for six years. While those treatments ultimately saved his life, they also left lasting effects, particularly on his lungs.

Today, he faces a new and serious challenge with Interstitial Lung Disease (IDL). The damage caused by chemotherapy has significantly impacted his ability to breathe, making even short distances difficult to walk without his lungs tightening and restricting his airflow. This condition has become life-threatening, and his doctors have determined that a lung transplant is now necessary.

In the coming weeks, he will travel to St. Louis to begin the extensive evaluation process required to qualify for a lung transplant. If he is approved and placed on the transplant list, he will need to remain in St. Louis for approximately three months following surgery to undergo daily rehabilitation and recovery. Even after returning home, he will continue to make frequent trips back and forth from Northwest Arkansas for ongoing care, monitoring, and treatment to ensure his body accepts the new lung.

Through it all, his determination remains strong. His greatest hope is simple yet powerful: to keep fighting so he can continue being present for his wife, his children, and his grandchildren. He dreams of gaining more time, time to watch each of his grandchildren grow, graduate, and experience life’s milestones. This transplant represents more than a medical procedure; it represents hope for more years, more memories, and more moments with the people he loves most.

Every donation will go directly to Dad towards the funding of temporary housing, travel expenses, medical expenses, and daily living costs during his evaluation, transplant, and recovery in St. Louis.