I have rewritten this a dozen times. Not even sure where to begin or how to ask...

Our family needs help.

My big brother, Paul, is at the UW hospital currently awaiting a transplant.

His body is shutting down and this is the last step in this stage of the battle.

Praying every minute he gets a new liver ASAP! He needs this! He deserves this!

The day after Christmas, my brother was taken to the hospital and admitted for 11 days while doctors discovered he was having liver failure and his body was shutting down.

Not a big surprise that he pulled himself together; he is a fighter. He was not ready to quit and was sent home while awaiting further instructions for the next steps in this long battle.

The last 5 months have been... in survival mode for him. He's continued to work because he is fighting to feed his kids, keep his house, pay bills, keep his pride, and keep his health. He has gone from my strong teddy bear big brother who weighed over 250 and is now down to 200. His skin is yellow from jaundice and he's weak.

It's a very hard thing to watch your brother, who you love so much, crumble. But in the mess of all this, he has healed in other ways.

He is inspiring! He smiles still through the pain and his spirit and courage have not wavered.

The next steps in his journey are going to be the hardest. And his biggest fears are his bills and not being able to provide for his family. He hates having to ask for help, which is why I'm asking for him.

On behalf of all the family, please, please help donate to help us keep his lights on, heat on, food on the table, and a roof over his head. He's got 2 daughters. One who is away at college and another who is about to be a senior.

Our family wants him to rest while his new liver has time to adjust to his body so he can get better and grow into the next chapter of life. He deserves to be around when his daughters graduate, to see them get married, and build their lives.

My brother is only 45!

Please help us support him during this. Anything helps and if you can't donate, just please pray for him. Prayers are powerful.

For those who have not got to meet my big brother, Paul Russell is the type of man who would be there in a pinch to help a friend or family member. For me, he was and is the brother who at every heartbreak showed up to take me out and remind me of my worth. He was who I called when I needed backup. I remember as kids, the summer after my mom died, he stayed home with my little sister and me and played Super Nintendo ALL summer long! We conquered Mario and Donkey Kong together.

Fun fact about my brother: He has 6 sisters and 3 brothers. We are very much a Brady Bunch family! He is the one who is strong, fun, the center of the party, and great at making us all laugh. And boy, can he cook!!!

He is an amazing dad! One who I looked up to for parenting advice. My nieces are amazing young women who would not be who they are if it was not for their amazing parents.

I could tell you a million stories to describe the incredible human he is!

This is why we need help. Why he needs help. His finances right now are his biggest worry. This journey has left him a mountain of bills that we want to help with. We appreciate anything and thank you so much for reading and praying.