Supporting Billy Richards

CGD Chronic Granulomatous Disease is an extremely rare genetic immune disorder. With this condition, the immune system is not able to protect the body from infections. My brother has been on daily medications his whole life. He has had recurring granulomas with bacterial and fungal infections. He has had many hospital stays and serious surgeries (too many to count). It is time to have a bone marrow transplant to cure him of this disease.

 

Last February he had brain surgery to remove a fungal infection in his brain. He is the 4th ever documented patient to be treated for this infection. Billy has been traveling back and forth to the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Because of his immune risks, Billy will be gone for 5 months of care and recovery. Three of those months will be outpatient care. We are hoping for financial support to help with his D.C. housing costs and living expenses as he will not be able to work until recovered and home. This will begin the first week of November.

 

Once recovered, Billy can return to his many passions, especially volunteering as a mason. You may remember him as the Sled Library guy after he built several free sled libraries for local parks. As a highly active freemason at his home Arcana Lodge in Northeast Minneapolis, he has spear-headed many efforts to make his neighborhood better. Every year he organizes a very successful toy-drive. He also initiated an annual work weekend, repairing and improving Camp Bovey, a kids camp for underprivileged youth. This camp takes Minneapolis kids to woods of northern Wisconsin, many of whom have never experienced the outdoors.

 

We want to get Billy back to doing what he loves, guitar, golf, and snowboarding. He is the best brother, uncle, son, and friend.

Thank you all.