Bill Thompson

Bill Thompson III, Editor/Publisher of Bird Watcher’s Digest, is a beloved figure in the birding world; a devoted father to Phoebe, 22, and Liam, 19; a writer of both words and songs; a gifted musician and endlessly creative thinker.  He lives large and goes hard. After suffering severe stomach pain since mid-October, Bill was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer on December 16, 2018. As of Christmas, he’s not a candidate for surgery; the cancer has spread in his lower abdomen; and he is set to start chemotherapy soon. The life force in this one is strong, and he’s only 56 and otherwise healthy, so now we fight. Of course, we hope for remission; we hope for anything for this man we love so fiercely.

To be honest, entering a diagnosis like this is like being sucked down a terrifying whirlpool. What we don’t know is everything. We do know that it’s going to be expensive. We have insurance, but we don’t know how good it is. We may seek second opinions from specialists elsewhere. So for all the people who’ve written, “If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know!” we have set up this page.

We appreciate your support more than we can express. To all Bill’s beloved friends and colleagues, thank you from our hearts.