Bill was diagnosed two years ago with Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF), a progressive lung disease which causes damage and scarring of the lungs, making it a struggle to breathe. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease and the only hope for Bill’s survival is a lung transplant. However, the cost associated with a transplant can be overwhelming! A fundraising campaign at HelpHOPELive began on April 30, 2016 and on that same day, God blessed him with two new lungs – his gift-of-life! We are so grateful to the donor from Boston, MA.

August 10, 2016

3 month benchmark is a little bumpy but the fantastic and talented docs at HUP are on it! Bill had a Bronscopy last week and it showed some slight Grade A1 rejection, which they will treat with a round or two of antibiotics. He has some fluid collecting in one of his lungs, so they will do an ultrasound and drain it. Billy is also suffering from really bad anxiety, which is considered to be very common among transplant patients ( no wonder!!!). The anxiety causes severe insomnia, so in addition to doubling his anxiety meds, his doctor decided it was time for some sleep medication!!! Happy to report he was able to get a solid 5 hours of sleep last night!!!! Now if we could only get him out of the recliner and back into bed!!! Apparently this is another common denominator among lung transplants. (Physically there is no reason they can not lay flat after the transplant - it's more mental conditioning from being sick for so long. Billy spent the past 2 years sleeping sitting up, due to his relentless struggle to simply breath).

July 12, 2016

Bill has reached the 2 month mark with few hiccups, thanks to God and the talented professionals at University of Penn!! His new lungs are amazing and his mind & body grow stronger everyday!!! Bill's lifeline now is a regiment of medication to prevent infection and rejection. He also has a team of doctors & therapist that continue to keep very close tabs on him, to insure his progress. This fundraising campaign really helps defer some of the many uninsured transplant expenses! On behalf of Bill and his family we SINCERELY APPRECIATE your help!!!!

May 1, 2016

The day that Bill's HelpHOPELive site was published (April 30, 2016), God blessed him with two new lungs. We are so grateful to the donor from Boston, MA. This couldn't have come at a better time because his health was rapidly declining. The surgery lasted approximately 8 hours and as per the doctor, the surgery went excellently. He is currently recovering at the University of Pennsylvania and hopes to return home shortly, being able to breathe without the aid of oxygen and without an incessant cough.

The lung transplant came less than a month into Bill being listed on the transplant registry. This was very fast and it is now a crucial time to start fundraising as his medical bills for medication are going to start fast and furiously.

April 28, 2016

Bill underwent extensive testing and is currently on the active transplant waiting list, at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, in Philadelphia, Pa.