Robert Scarborough

My step-father, Robert “Skeeter” Scarborough is a 74 year-old man who is very ill. In September of 2015, Skeeter was hospitalized for internal bleeding and was diagnosed with esophageal varices with severe liver disease. He underwent medical procedures to control the esophageal varices, but this past June he was diagnosed with two cancerous tumors in his liver. My dad is now facing end-stage-liver disease, or liver failure and was told by his team of physicians that he now needs a liver transplant to survive.

Skeeter grew up in a small East Texas town and graduated from Diboll High School. Over the years, he has been involved in various kinds of employment from customer service to welding. Several years ago, when he decided to retire, he became more consumed with his “little” farm and Skeeter owns about 5 acres of land, with a barn, a garden area and sometimes a few cows…just enough to keep him busy. One of the things that Skeeter enjoys is spending time with his granddaughter and showing her around the farm. More than ever, he is hoping to recover from his liver failure and get a new lease on life with a liver transplant. Skeeter’s loving and supportive family are committed to seeing him through his transplant surgery, but they also need the support of their community to make Skeeter’s transplant surgery a reality.

Transplants are life-saving but financially draining, and even with health insurance, Skeeter is facing very high out-of-pocket expenses. He will face large co-pays and deductibles, lab costs, living expenses, the cost of a caregiver, travel and lodging fees, and he is required to relocate for two months to be closer to Baylor Medical Clinic in Houston, Texas. Skeeter will also face costly, post-transplant anti-rejection medications that are needed for the rest of his life. These cost upwards of $4,800 a month, and Skeeter needs your support to help make his transplant surgery a reality.

To help with this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in Skeeter’s honor has been established with Help Hope Live, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law, are held by Help Hope Live in the South-Central Liver Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only. To make a donation to this fundraising campaign, please click on the yellow DONATE NOW BUTTON.

Thank you ahead of time for your thoughts, prayers and generous financial support. Any donation amount, no matter how big or how small, is one step closer to a brighter future for Skeeter.

Gratefully,

Kelly Rowland, Skeeter’s step-daughter, [email protected]