Randy Jones

You may know him as Wesley’s, Jobi’s, Mandy’s or Randall’s dad. Or maybe as Linda’s husband. Perhaps you've worked alongside him during his 30 years at Lockwood. Or you may not know him at all. Whatever the case, thank you for reading his (and our family’s) story…


Randy Jones is known as a strong, hardworking and dependable man. Over the years you may have seen him at the stables feeding the horses, or in the barn working on cars, and a lot of times building something new on the farm. Building new things and tinkering are his most enjoyable hobbies. Those who know him best know that these are some of his favorite ways to spend time and that without his work, Randy wouldn’t know what to do with himself.  Throughout our lives, he has used this inherent work ethic and love for creating to build the best livable space for his family and giving us a cherished place to grow up and thrive. The beautiful homes, yards, swing sets, and patios are all things he built because he wanted his family to have them. All of these things had to be perfect in his eyes, even when we didn’t care if they were perfect or not. His undeniable desire to create these things now serve as the backdrop to so many beautiful memories. But as of late doing the work that he loves so much has been nothing short of daunting.

He has always been a man of great action but very few words. Being the private person that he is, you may not have been aware that he is battling a disease that leaves him exhausted just from getting out of bed in the morning. Seven years ago, Randy was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), a rare, degenerative liver disease with no known cure.

Recent months have been the toughest for him. Because of this disease, he has endured agonizing symptoms like excessive bleeding, complete loss of muscle tone, fever spouts, loss of appetite, and fluid build-up in his abdomen. There are days where he can’t reach down to tie his shoes because of the fluid build-up. He has to get his abdomen drained nearly every week now. On Wednesday, May 30th doctors drained 6.5 liters - roughly 14 lbs. He doesn’t have enough energy to do household chores. It’s almost too exhausting for him to drive to and from work. Both his body and his spirit have deteriorated. This disease, which targets the bile ducts then slowly causes the liver to fail, affects 1 in 10,000 people per year in the US. Doctors say the cause remains unclear. No one knows how or why this happened to him.

With luck on his side, Randy will undergo transplant surgery at VCU in Richmond, VA in the coming months. The procedure is not without risks, but with Randy’s condition worsening each day, there is no other choice. If the months of recovery go as planned, the transplant will give him much needed strength and he will be able to regain his quality of life. Something that right now seems so distant.

Sadly, coping with the disease, transplant surgery, and beginning the long road to recovery are only part of the worries weighing on him right now. So we are reaching out to ask for something that a man like Randy never could … Help. As many of you are aware, even with the blessing of a donor comes a nightmarish list of expenses: medical bills, lodging for on-site recovery, transportation to and from Richmond, farm maintenance, and lost income throughout it all.

We want to see our dad doing what he loves again – but we need your help. Any donation, big or small, gets us closer to our goal and Randy closer to a calm recovery. Whether you donate because you know one of us, Linda, or Randy himself, we are forever grateful for your kindness.   

In anxious wait of better days,

Wesley, Jobi, Mandy, and Randall