VA Denied Coverage - Billy Needs Urgent Cancer Treatment Now

Help Billy Thames Access Life-Saving Cancer Treatment

William “Billy” Thames, a 41-year-old father of five and military veteran, dedicated years of his life to serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, he’s fighting his toughest battle yet—stage IV melanoma that has aggressively spread to his lungs, eye socket, adrenal glands, kidney, bones, spine, arm, and multiple lymph nodes.

Billy’s fight has been made even harder by delays in care. It took the VA nearly a year to get him into dermatology after concerns were first raised—by then, his cancer had already spread. He has undergone multiple surgeries, targeted therapy, radiation, and immunotherapies, but after initial success, the cancer returned.

Determined to make the most of their time together, Billy and his family traveled the country, creating cherished memories before settling at Thousand Trails RV Park near Sacramento. But now, Billy faces an urgent deadline: he needs access to Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) therapy—his only chance at survival.

The VA is Denying Billy the Care That Could Save His Life

Billy’s surgery is scheduled for April 3rd, but he cannot proceed unless the VA covers it. TIL therapy has been FDA-approved and is a proven treatment that shrinks tumors and extends lives. Other veterans have received VA approval for it, and Billy was even sent to Stanford with a VA referral. But now, at the last moment, the VA is denying coverage, offering no explanation beyond saying, “There is not a Service Contract Agreement (SCA) in place.” And they “intend to start the process for future cases.”

This is despite the fact that Billy’s cancer is 100% service-related, and all his other treatments have been covered by the VA. The VA has approved and is fully covering his radiation at Stanford, but without TIL therapy, he will not survive.

Billy initially thought this was just how the system worked—that he was simply denied, like so many others. But now, he realizes this system is broken, and if he doesn’t fight back, another veteran without family support could lose their life because they didn’t know how to push through the red tape.

The Family’s Struggles: Fighting for Treatment While Raising Their Children

Billy’s care requires full-time supervision, as his condition is unpredictable. His wife, Renee, is constantly juggling caregiving, working, fighting the VA, and raising their three children who still live with them.

The financial strain is immense:

✅ Time is running out to fight the VA before April 3rd

✅ Travel costs for frequent trips (4hour drive) from the RV park to Palo Alto, CA for Billy’s treatment

✅ Time lost from work to coordinate and travel to medical appointments and push back against VA denials

✅ Housing instability, as they live in an RV while battling this crisis

✅ Trying to attend Billy’s brother’s funeral in WA, adding another layer of emotional and financial strain

Billy is Fighting for More Than Just Himself

Billy doesn’t just want this fight to be about him—he wants to make sure no other veteran is put in this same impossible situation. If the VA is doing this to him, how many others are being denied care without a fight?

He refuses to be another statistic. But he needs your help to push back.

How You Can Help

Billy deserves the chance to fight. Every donation helps cover the costs standing between him and this critical treatment. If you cannot donate, please share his story—together, we can fight for Billy’s life and for every veteran facing this broken system.

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