Help Gary Skaggs after illness and a new liver
Donation protected
Hi everyone my name is Michelle Henry and I am fundraising to help my best friend of 20+ years get back on his feet after being off work for over 3 months before being blessed with a new liver and now it will be at least several months before he can resume any kind of employment. He followed in his father and older brothers footsteps and has been a truck driver either over the road or in the oil field his whole life. Unfortunately with compromised liver function comes a compromised immune system. Despite vaccinations and masks and eating most meals in his truck and staying vigilant he contracted covid. He ended up in the hospital for a few days and was able to return home to finish recuperating. His employer was great and left the truck set for several weeks before they came to get it. His health continued in a downward spiral and he went into complete liver failure. As the toxins build in your body it affects all your other organs including your brain and kidneys. By this time he was placed in ICU at OK UNIVERSITY Hospital. He was put on 24 hour dialysis with pic lines in both sides of his neck for the dialysis and meditation to fight the infections that go along with kidney and liver failure. Things began to look pretty bleak for his survival. After many many prayers and tears and a battery of tests and scans the OU transplant team placed him on the transplant list and we were told that with out the miracle of a liver that matched he would never leave the hospital. And then came the miracle we had all been praying for, a new liver on Christmas Eve. He came thru a 6 hour surgery with flying colors.He began walking the ICU hall on Christmas day. His kidneys went back to work and his eyes lost their neon yellow color. He was able to return home on Jan 6 2023. Unfortunately even after talking to the credit union, that his 4th pick up was financed thru, every week once or twice a week and explaining the situation they repossessed it last night, January 9 th after repeatedly assuring him they would work with him.
He has been the main breadwinner in his family and his wife's job doesn't cover the modest house payments let alone utility bills and other bills. His wife's mother lives with them because she can not care for herself any longer. They have 6 kids the youngest being 7, and 4 grandchildren.
It will be 6 months to a year to get even short term disability and its unknown at this time if he can ever drive truck again or what kind of job he can hold with his compromised immune system. They have one vehicle with well over 100,000 miles on it that his wife drives to work and with his pickup being repossessed it will make it hard to drive the 45 mins to OU for the frequent blood work and follow up appts required. Hes worked full time since he was 14 and he's a really good man. He had repeatedly told me no to a go fund me because he has too much pride but the pickup will make an already rough situation a lot harder. I am asking for 30 thousand so he can get a decent pick up with out a payment, catch up the rest of the bills , pay back family loans, cover the cost of medication after insurance and to give him a little breathing room.
If you are unable to help just know that your prayers for the doners family and Gary will be greatly appreciated!
Co-organizers (2)
Michelle Henry
Organizer
Prague, OK
Gary Skaggs
Beneficiary
Kayla Weeks
Co-organizer