Reno Sprague

Help Hope Live, Dark Days, the Search for Help, and a Glimmer of Hope

Hello friends and family!

I am pleased to relate, that since my last broad communication (while awaiting liver transplant), I received a beautiful, life-saving new liver on April 3rd. We would not have made it to this point without the support from our community of love and care. In short, thank you!

We appreciate your time and consideration of the difficulties my family is experiencing during this challenging time. We have explored every avenue of possible employment and government assistance (SSD, VA, FL, etc.) with mixed success. Unfortunately, the slow machinery of government and the miserable job market necessitate our seeking additional assistance from the wider community.

We have also previously reached out to immediate family members, classmates and others, many of whom provided vital financial support prior to my surgery. We hope that close network will be the vanguard of our broader outreach.

To that end, we have been extremely fortunate to be welcomed into the society of transplant donors and recipients, as represented in this fund raising campaign by Help Hope Live.

Please share this story as widely as possible with your national and local communities

(churches, charitable organizations, business groups, friends, social media) and connections.

We will, of course be doing the same and hope to reach everyone who can help in any way.

As it stands, we are out of money and at our wits end to find funds to keep and maintain our, health, co-pays, medication and ability to communicate.

Our Situation and How We Arrived Here

My condition was first diagnosed in September of 2018 expressing in the form of esophageal varices requiring surgical intervention. The cirrhosis became acutely dangerous in 2022, impacting diverse internal organ systems, requiring multiple drugs to attempt mitigation.

Finally, in October of 2024, I was struck by acute encephalopathy due to a massive imbalance of ammonia in my brain. I basically lost connection to reality. The attack happened in front of my 15 year old daughter and wife of 23 years. I can only imagine their horror and subsequent feelings.

At this point it was clear matters had progressed to the point where a liver transplant was my only option. This began 7 months of hospital stays, monthly then weekly bloodwork, tapping and draining as much as 14 liters of liquid bloating my abdomen (paracentesis), an ever changing cocktail of medication and strict supervision of requirements for listing by the liver transplant program. We were finally notified of availability in late March 2025 and received the liver in April.

Following the successful transplant surgery, I am now recovering from a dramatically weakened state (85 lb. weight loss, gross decrease in appetite, muscle mass, strength and flexibility), and am still on the upward slope of difficulty. Occupational, physical, and speech therapy, medication (changing week by week at times) and diet planning all add to the recovery journey.

None of the above would have been possible without the continuing care and attention and coordination from the HCA Largo Transplant Center, and the team of physicians and medical professionals whose efforts truly move pre-surgery preparation and post-surgery recovery. A special thanks to Dr. Bodin – my transplant quarterback and cheerleader, Dr’s Eason and Delvecchio – whose surgical skills ensured a wonderful outcome, our pre-surgery coordinator Theresa Thoman, and our ongoing care coordinator, the wonderful Brittany Narleski.

With that in mind, I am still unable to find suitable work (physical & monetary concerns) due to conditions of the recovery process. My physical limitations dramatically reduce the number of available jobs (I.e. remote / work from home only) and further make the nature of those jobs even more rare in availability.

My former industry of global logistics and supply chain management has been drastically impacted by everything happening in the world, and the situation limits companies new hiring practices.

Employment search in this climate consists of thousands of job applications, “recruiting” practices that do not seem to present real opportunities. The churn of job postings, removal, and re-posting becomes very quickly apparent over a short time.

To date, I have a very long path to follow (six months minimum) until my mental and physical capacity begins to return to normal. With that in mind, during this time my ability to work remains minimal or even nonexistent.

With all the above, we are again forced to look for other sources of income to keep afloat.

Details of how you can help are outlined at the site linked below. All donations are fully tax deductible and managed by Help Hope Live. The proceeds will go to cover medical and household expenses and are completely accountable to donors. Information about the charity is also located therein. Of course, direct assistance is welcome and needed, but equally or more important are your connections and communication out to the world at large. Any and all participation in this effort is beyond appreciated.

Thank you again for your consideration and assistance.

Best regards,

Reno Sprague, Gwen Sprague and family.

Family and friends of Reno Sprague are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with a Transplant. Reno has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because donations are tax deductible for contributors and will only be used to cover medical and related expenses.