Update on Roy – With Heavy Hearts

We want to begin by thanking every single person who has prayed, donated, and shared Roy and Kathy’s journey. Your love, encouragement, and faith have meant more to this family than words can express. Through every step of this difficult road, your support has helped carry them forward.

It is with incredibly heavy hearts that we share the heartbreaking news that Roy passed away today surrounded by his family in Spokane.

After returning from Seattle to Spokane, Roy became very sick again with a serious lung infection that required him to be re-admitted to the hospital. While Roy’s body continued to fight, his health had become too fragile. His kidneys still needed to be removed and replaced with a donor kidney, but doctors were unable to move forward with that surgery because his body was not strong enough.

Roy had been receiving dialysis, and as of this past Sunday his body began to fail. Doctors placed him on machines to help keep his body going, but it became clear that Roy would not be able to survive without them, and the quality of life he would face would not be what he deserved.

This morning, Kathy and the family had to make the most difficult decision imaginable — to let Roy go peacefully and say their final goodbyes to a loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend to so many.

While their hearts are broken, they are grateful that Roy was able to be back in Spokane and surrounded by family and love during his final days.

During this incredibly painful time, the family is asking first and foremost for your continued prayers as they begin to navigate life without Roy.

If you are able, please consider sharing this GoFundMe so others who know Roy or who feel moved to help can support the family. Any donations will now go toward helping Kathy and the family with funeral and cremation expenses, as well as the many unexpected costs that have come from this long medical journey.

Your prayers, kindness, and support mean the world to this family.

Please continue to keep Kathy and the entire family lifted in prayer.

Thank you,

Marlina

Update on Roy Hogeboom

We wanted to share an update on Roy. Over the past few days, Roy has had a setback and is currently in the ICU. He will be transferred to Swedish Hospital in Seattle in the next couple of days for further care.

Roy’s doctors have shared that he will need a new liver and one new kidney, and will undergo a double transplant. This has been an incredibly difficult time for Roy, Kathy, and their family as they navigate these changes and prepare for the next steps in his journey.

We ask that you continue to keep Roy, Kathy, and their medical team in your thoughts and prayers, for strength, healing, and guidance for both the family and the surgeons. Your support, love, and donations mean the world to them as they face this challenging time together.

Thank you for surrounding them with your kindness and prayers.

Marlina

There are moments in life when even the strongest families face valleys that test their faith, strength, and endurance. My dear friends, Kathy and her husband Roy, are walking through one of those valleys right now and they need our love, prayers, and support more than ever.

About a month and a half ago, Roy became very ill. At the time, he was between jobs and without insurance. When he finally agreed to see a doctor, it was almost too late. He was immediately admitted to the hospital and has now been there for several weeks.

When Roy was admitted, his kidneys and liver were both in severe distress, and doctors discovered a mass on his pancreas. Thankfully, the biopsy confirmed that it was a non-cancerous cyst. His kidneys are slowly improving each day, but his liver is still struggling, and he has now been told that he will need a liver transplant.

This next part of their journey will involve traveling to the west side of the state for testing, finding a matching donor, and undergoing surgery. Roy will need to remain near the transplant hospital for 4-8 weeks of recovery, and Kathy will need to be by his side 24/7 as his support and caregiver.

Anyone who knows Roy knows that he is not one to ask for help. But this season has humbled and strengthened their family in ways that only faith and community can provide. They are deeply grateful for every prayer and every bit of encouragement that has helped them make it this far.

This GoFundMe has been created to help with travel, temporary housing, and medical expenses during this long road to healing. Any amount, no matter how small, will make a meaningful difference for this incredible family.

If you’re unable to give, please consider sharing this campaign and keeping Roy, Kathy, and their loved ones in your prayers. Pray that the right donor is found quickly that the surgery goes smoothly, and that Roy’s body accepts the transplant with full healing and strength.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for showing up for this beautiful family when they need it most.