Chris's Journey To A New Liver #doit4craiger

My name is Sarah Craig and I’m starting this fundraiser to support my brother, Chris Craig and his family. My brother is currently fighting for his life waiting for a liver transplant.

As a teenager Chris was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), a rare chronic liver disease. Over time PSC damages the liver and eventually leads to liver failure. This past year, Chris’s health has deteriorated rapidly and in the summer he eventually had to stop working as he was in liver failure and too ill to work.

Over the past several months Chris has had several medical appointments in Ottawa and Toronto to undergo numerous medical tests to determine if he would be eligible for a liver transplant. On December 23rd, we found out Chris is eligible for a liver transplant and he is now on the transplant list.

His son Connor has stepped forward to donate a portion of his liver to save his father’s life. They are now starting the process of appointments and medical tests to see if Connor is an eligible match.

As many of you know, Chris and Bobbi-Jo are very private and never ask for help. They have struggled since the summer and moving forward it will become even more financially difficult.

Until Chris has the transplant he will have ongoing medical appointments in Ottawa and Toronto. Connor will also be required to travel to Toronto multiple times for medical tests to determine if he is an eligible match. In addition, Chris is on several different medications and nutritional supplements/drinks to try and manage his symptoms and ease his suffering.

When the time comes and Chris has the transplant he will be hospitalized 2-3 weeks at the Toronto General Hospital and Connor will be hospitalized for 1-2 weeks. Bobbi-Jo will be staying in Toronto during this time to be close to her husband and son. Travel, accommodations, parking and food costs are going to be significant. Once Chris is discharged from the hospital he will be required to travel and stay in Toronto once a week for medical appointments for a minimum of 3 months. Then he will have regular follow-up appointments in Toronto for some time. Connor will not be able to work for several months and will need to be on various medications and receive weekly injections for 6 weeks.

I know times are challenging for us all and we are just getting over the holidays, but anything you can give would be greatly appreciated and never forgotten. All funds raised will go directly to help ease the financial burden of this difficult process.