Shannon Murphy, my daughter, is the mother of two and a grandmother of one at the age of 44. In 2015, Shannon underwent her first liver transplant, but heartbreakingly, in 2020 the disease returned and destroyed the donor liver. This led to a second transplant last December, and Shannon has faced a relentless series of complications before and after the transplant. She has episodes of confusion and delirium which make her unable to understand even simple directions or recognize even family members. These episodes also make it impossible for Shannon to stand and walk when they occur. She falls out of bed frequently, and I struggle to get her up and back to bed, just to have her fall again. During this admission, she fell five times before having an ambulance get her to MUSC.

An example of the injuries from her falls: in 2023, Shannon fell and broke her left tibia, requiring surgery and the insertion of a nail from her knee to her ankle, which was also broken and required plates and screws. She also broke her right foot at the same time, as well as knocking her eye out of socket and suffering a grade 4 concussion. She was bedbound for three months, which was a very arduous recovery for her.

In addition, Shannon has spent at least a week in the hospital every month since her transplant. She now relies on a G/J tube to take her vital anti-rejection medications, as well as a pic line for additional care at home. Home health nurses visit regularly to help manage her condition, but the journey has been incredibly tough for her and our family. The financial burden has become overwhelming. Even before her second transplant, Shannon’s frequent hospital admissions and ongoing treatments created mounting bills. Now, with the added costs of home health care, travel to and from the hospital, and expensive medications, her disability income simply isn’t enough to keep up. Shannon is someone who hates asking for help, but right now, she feels like she is drowning in debt that just keeps growing.

We are reaching out to our community for support. Any help, no matter how small, would mean the world to Shannon and our family. Your kindness and generosity can help ease the financial strain and allow Shannon to focus on her recovery. Thank you so much for considering a donation and for keeping Shannon in your thoughts.