Hope for Ray: Pulminary Fibrosis Treatment

Our family is facing something we never imagined, and we’re reaching out with heavy hearts and hopeful spirits. Our Papaw, Ray Blaxton, has the opportunity to fight not just for his health, but for the chance to keep living the life he loves.

In September 2024, after nearly a year of struggling to fully recover from COVID-19 (contracted during Thanksgiving 2023), our grandfather was officially diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis—a progressive and incurable lung disease that causes irreversible scarring of the lungs, making it harder and harder to breathe.

Watching him decline has been one of the most heartbreaking experiences of our lives.

Ray has always been the healthiest, hardest-working man we know. For years, he took great pride in working as the janitor at our local courthouse—a job he truly loved. But the disease has taken that from him. He had to retire because he simply couldn’t catch his breath anymore. It’s been devastating for someone who has always been so full of life and purpose.

Over the past few weeks, his condition has worsened rapidly. Simply walking to the car causes him to struggle to breathe. But he’s not ready to give up. And neither are we.

Through intense research and networking, we’ve discovered a promising treatment option in Tijuana, Mexico. This cutting-edge regenerative therapy has shown remarkable results, with a reported 92% success rate in treating patients with pulmonary fibrosis. If successful, the treatment could begin reversing the scarring in his lungs immediately and potentially restore up to 80% of his lung function—a miracle we’ve been praying for.

Anyone who knows Ray knows he doesn’t like to travel far from home—but he’s willing to do anything to stay with the people he loves. That speaks volumes. He wants more time. More walks. More stories. More moments.

The treatment and associated travel costs are significant. We are working as quickly as possible to get expedited passports and arrange logistics. While we are still waiting on a final quote, we’ve been told to prepare for an estimated $20,000 in total expenses. Ryan and I plan to travel with him to support him every step of the way, while our mom stays behind to care for our nana, who is also preparing for an upcoming total hip replacement.

Our family has always been one that loves to help others—and asking for help doesn’t come easy to us. But this is bigger than us. We need your help to give Papaw a second chance.

Your donation, no matter how small, will go directly toward treatment costs, travel, and accommodations. More importantly, it will give our grandfather hope—and the possibility of getting his life back.

Thank you for loving him. Thank you for standing with us.

With love and deep gratitude,

Amber and Family