Bill is a man who has sacrificed so much for so many throughout his life and now he is the one who could use a helping hand. Donations to Help Hope Live can help ease these financial burdens, associated with his life-saving liver transplant, and allow Bill to focus on what truly matters, a healthy recovery and a long life with his loved ones.

Bill Freeman is no stranger to facing down the unknown and persevering through whatever hardship or struggle that it may bring. From a wide-eyed 17-year-old from Ohio first stepping foot onto the USS Niagara Falls after joining the Navy, to multiple tours in Vietnam, to an honorably discharged Petty Officer Third Class adjusting to life outside of service and trying to find his next great adventure. Through a veteran’s group, Bill discovered his genuine love for cooking and would develop and perfect his craft while traveling from California to West Virginia, with stops in New Orleans, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. It was in Buckhannon, West Virginia that Bill met and married the love of his life, Melanie. The couple welcomed their daughter Lindsey in 1986 and in 1990 the family of three relocated to Tennessee before returning to West Virginia in 1998 and settling in St. Albans, where they currently reside. Bill’s passion for cooking never wavered and the joy of being in a kitchen came second only to the happiness he felt spending time with his wife and daughter. While he had the pleasure of working with some truly wonderful people in his career as a chef, it was working with his long-time mentor, Bill Sohovich, at the popular Charleston restaurant, Soho’s that was the highlight of his career. Bill would go on to retire as Head Chef from Soho’s in 2017, after suffering a portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in 2016. They did not know it at the time, but this would be the beginning of Bill’s health battle; after doctors discovered he was suffering from severe liver damage. In 2020, he was diagnosed with liver cancer and underwent many treatments to prevent the cancer from spreading but his survival would depend entirely on Bill receiving a transplant. On June 10, 2021, his beloved mother’s birthday, after what felt like an eternity of waiting and unsuccessful matches, Bill received that life-saving transplant. The transplant was the answer to more than a few urgent and desperate prayers by those who love Bill, including two adoring grandsons, Cayden and Silas, who truly believe their granddad can fix anything. He is always coming up with inventive ways to bring their imaginative creations to life, whether it is a Halloween costume or a birthday cake, he never lets them down. There is nothing Bill wants more than to enjoy his retirement years with his loving wife, daughter, grandsons, and devoted K-9 companion, Maddie. Unfortunately, like so many others, the Freeman’s could not escape the negative impact of the Pandemic and Melanie lost her job, making the financial strain of medical care infinitely greater. While Bill does have insurance to cover many of the medical costs, not all associated expenses are covered, including temporary relocation, travel, etc. and without Melanie’s income, affording these unforeseen costs has become increasingly more difficult.