Hi, my name is Rebecca Owens, and I’m reaching out to family, friends and the community to help raise funds to pay for housing for my father Rick Owens for aftercare treatment following liver transplant surgery.

It’s been known for a couple of years now that my father, Rick, has had liver disease. More specifically, non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. The last couple of years have mainly been spent with his doctor just monitoring the cirrhosis to see if the disease has progressed. It was decided this last year to refer my father to Stanford for further care and consultation. After just one video visit with the specialist at Stanford in the summer of 2023 it was decided that my father should move forward with the process of getting placed on the transplant list. Many months later, after many trips to Stanford and after several tests and procedures, my father was accepted to the liver transplant waiting list.

However, after he does receive his transplant, the care does not stop there. My father, along with my mother, will have to live next to Stanford hospital for a period of 8-12 weeks. This time will be spent recovering while also traveling to Stanford almost daily for more tests and procedures to monitor the healing and his bodies acceptance of the new liver. While Stanford does provide housing right across the street, my father did not qualify to stay in this housing. The 8-12 weeks of aftercare housing will have to come out of my parents pockets. This means paying nightly fees at a local hotel or renting an Airbnb. This will not be cheap and can end up costing them thousands of dollars but it is necessary for the transplant and a requirement to be on the list.

The funds raised here will go directly to help pay for the housing that my father and mother will stay in for the 8-12 weeks of his after care. Any amount that you can donate will be greatly appreciated!!

Just a little background. My father, Rick was born in Selma, ca and raised in Fresno. Around 1981, Rick and his now wife Lisa, moved to Merced where he got a job with the Merced police department. He then went to work for the Merced Marshalls and the Merced Sheriff. He retired after 25 years of service and now runs his own auto recovery business with the help of his son Jacob. Rick has three children, Cassandra (Mike), Rebecca (myself)(Teng) and Jacob (Champa). He also has 13 grandchildren, Jayden, Alexa, Kaleb, Noah, Jordan, Cameron, Hannah, Tyler, Jaxson, Jacob, Claira, Emma, and Makayla.

Rick is type O which means he can only have a type O donor unlike other blood types. A living donor would make the process faster. The living donor’s liver returns to normal size in about 6 weeks. Thank you for any help that you able to give.