Scott was a grandfather, father, a husband, a son, and a friend. He fought hard through every setback, and we truly believed we were turning a corner. Losing him at 57 has left a hole in our family that can never be filled. Right now, our focus is honoring his life and making sure my mom is stable and supported as she grieves the love of her life. If you feel led to give, please know that every dollar helps ease the financial burden during this heartbreaking time. And if you can't donate, sharing this page means more than you know. Thank you for standing with our family.

Hi everyone,

My name is Lauren, and I am Scott's oldest daughter. I created this GoFundMe to help my mom, Melanie, with funeral expenses and basic living costs as we try to help her get back on her feet.

Scott did not have life insurance, and any savings he had were exhausted after a year of medical treatments for his hip and back. My mom has not been working because she was his full-time caretaker. She will not be eligible to receive his Social Security benefits until she turns 65, which leaves her in a very difficult financial position right now.

Many of you have asked how Scott passed so suddenly at just 57 years old. It was a complicated medical situation, so I want to share the facts.

On December 10, 2025, Scott was hospitalized for a cut on his foot that developed into a staph infection and sepsis. He was discharged on December 19, 2025, with diagnoses including hypotension, liver cirrhosis, and acute kidney injury.

Although his white blood cell count had been rising during his hospital stay, he was sent home with only a walker and a bedside commode. We had concerns, but he was exhausted and wanted to be home for Christmas. We were able to set up new medical insurance for him and scheduled his first primary care appointment for December 23, 2025.

On January 9, 2026, we met with the liver transplant team and began the evaluation process.

On January 19, 2026, Scott woke up struggling to breathe and asked my mom to call 911. When we arrived at Loma Linda, we learned he was in severe respiratory distress. He made the decision to be intubated. Doctors also placed a chest tube due to fluid buildup in his left lung related to his liver failure.

That night, we were told to say goodbye because he had gone into septic shock. His white blood cell count doubled within hours, he developed multi-organ failure, and he was on maximum medications to maintain his blood pressure.

He made it through that night, but his kidneys failed and he required 24/7 dialysis. Doctors were unsure if his heart could tolerate it, but he did.

• 01/26/2026 – He had a feeding tube placed.

• 01/28/2026 – He was extubated and able to breathe on his own.

• 01/31/2026 – A staff member told him he was too sick to recover and suggested hospice care.

• 02/01/2026 – His new antibiotics began working. His white blood cell count improved dramatically, and his numbers were looking better. His doctor planned to contact his hepatologist to discuss getting him listed and possibly prioritized for transplant.

Unfortunately, Scott had signed himself out for hospice the night before while documented as mildly confused. We are still unsure who spoke with him about that decision, and it was heartbreaking and unexpected.

We brought him home on hospice care. At first, his kidney function remained stable, but his condition declined quickly. When we recalled hospice and called 911 on February 5, 2026, we were told he was too far gone to reverse the decline. We made the decision to focus on comfort care.

Scott passed away on February 8, 2026, at 4:44 AM.

This has been devastating for our family emotionally and financially. Any donation, no matter the amount, will go directly toward funeral expenses and helping my mom maintain stable housing and basic necessities while she navigates this new reality.

If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this page. We are grateful for your prayers, support, and love during this incredibly difficult time.

Thank you.