My name is Paul, and I’ve been told I likely have 6–12 months to live without a liver transplant.

In March 2025, my bloodwork looked “perfectly healthy.” By summer, I was in end-stage liver failure. I was diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis, bleeding esophageal varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, and my body simply can’t keep up anymore.

I don’t have health insurance. Every prescription, every copay, every bill is coming straight out of my pocket.

On top of that, my car was stolen from the hospital on 10/18/2025. Since then, I’ve been trying to manage advanced liver failure with no reliable way to get to and from appointments. Other than a normal check I received on 10/03/2025, I’ve been living off a very small savings that is almost gone.

I am sober (125+ days and counting). I’m fighting. But I can’t do this alone anymore.

What Your Support Helps With Right Now

I’m not asking for luxury. I’m asking for survival, stability, and a chance to build something meaningful with whatever time I have left.

Your support will go toward:

A reliable car so I can safely get to and from hospital and transplant-related appointments

Prescriptions and copays ($600–$850/month)

Rent and utilities so I don’t lose my home while I’m this sick

Basic bills (credit cards and essentials) that piled up while I’ve been unable to work normally

Groceries – liver‑friendly food isn’t cheap, and I’m doing my best to follow the plan

I also have two dogs and one very pricey bird. They are not going anywhere. They bring me joy and calm when everything else is chaos. Keeping them fed, safe, and with me is non‑negotiable—they are part of my treatment as much as any medication.

If possible, I’d also like to give my mom one last gift:

a final birthday trip for my 33rd birthday (my lucky number) – to Salem or Vegas – to make a memory we can both hold onto, no matter what happens next.

My Health Reality (Why This Is So Urgent)

Recently my doctors told me plainly: without a transplant, I’m looking at 6–12 months.

I live with:

Alcoholic cirrhosis

Decompensated cirrhosis

Esophageal varices with bleeding

Portal hypertensive gastropathy

Even though I’ve stopped drinking, the damage is severe and late. Sobriety helps my soul, but it can’t fully fix my liver at this stage. I’m exhausted, in pain, and my body is changing fast. I’m doing everything I can medically and spiritually—but financially, I’m out of road.

The Empire: What I’m Trying to Build Out of This

If I get more time—through transplant, treatment, or sheer stubbornness—I don’t want to just survive. I want to build something called “The Empire.”

The Empire is a place where dreams become reality on a budget that fits your life.

It’s my vision for:

A small property that becomes my final resting place and a sanctuary for others

Dogs, birds, and a “doggy building galore” where pets and people can play, train, and heal

A space where kids, adults, and anyone struggling can come as they are—no judgment, just honesty, humor, and support

A “talking empire” of real‑talk conversations, faith fights, dark humor, and practical tools for people who feel like they’re out of chances

I’ve already started with Listen to Me Empire—handmade bird toys, honest dog training, event planning, and using my marketing brain (including Melaleuca) to keep some income coming in when I can.

Why This Matters Beyond Me

This isn’t just about paying my bills.

I want to prove to my nephew that he was worth every part of this fight.

I want him—and other kids like him—to see that even when life hits you with addiction, psych wards, liver failure, and stolen cars, you can still build something that says:

“You were worth it. You still are.”

If I’m called home before The Empire is finished, my wishes are:

My pets go to safe, loving homes (plans already in motion).

Any remaining funds and future Empire ideas go to help kids and young people with big dreams and no backing—the ones who just need someone to believe in them.

How You Can Help

Donate if you’re able—any amount truly helps.

Share this GoFundMe with your network, especially if you know people who care about animals, addiction recovery, or end‑of‑life support.

Support my small efforts with Listen to Me Empire and Melaleuca when you see them on my page.

Every dollar is a little more time, a little more stability, and a little more hope that I can:

Get to my appointments

Keep my home and my animals

Take my mom on one last birthday trip

And, if I’m blessed with more time, build The Empire I’ve been dreaming about.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for loving me, my dogs, and my loud, expensive bird.

Thank you for helping me fight for my life and my legacy.

– Paul