Young Father Asking for Help As He Waits for Lifesaving Liver Transplant

Emily Progin, PR and Communications Coordinator

eprogin@helphopelive.org / 800.642.8399

Release: Immediate

YOUNG FATHER ASKING FOR HELP AS HE WAITS FOR LIFESAVING LIVER TRANSPLANT

Twin Falls’s Barry Wayne Crow II Calls Family His Rock

TWIN FALLS, Idaho.—Barry Wayne Crow II has a lot to fight for—and he doesn’t plan to give up. The 28-year-old husband and father of four has stage four liver disease. He is asking for the community’s help as he fundraises for the cost of a lifesaving liver transplant. On Friday, November 15 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., he will join his community at a special spaghetti dinner fundraiser at Mountain View Barn (292 E 300 S in Jerome) with live music, bingo, raffles, and more. Funds raised will help to offset Crow’s out-of-pocket transplant costs.

A lover of karate and off-roading, Crow is the proud father of four children: 9-year-old Alyssa, 8-year-old Brayden, 6-year-old Barry Crow III, and 4-year-old Adam. Born and raised in Hailey, Crow has always had a heart for service. As a teenager, he worked for an organization that provided horse riding therapy to children with disabilities. As an adult, he pursued a successful career in the mechanics industry and worked for A1 Towing as a tow truck driver. His loving wife, Amanda, says that he never missed an opportunity to help his neighbors, including stopping to assist stranded drivers—until everything changed.

When they first diagnosed him with liver disease, doctors told Crow that there was nothing they could do. Reeling at the prognosis but determined to save his life, Amanda, his caregiver and his rock, sprang into action.  She researched and tracked down liver specialists who may be able to give Crow a fighting chance—and she found them, three-and-a-half hours away in Utah. The Crows made appointments, connected with Utah doctors, and received incredible news: Crow’s life could be saved with a liver transplant. So began the wait of a lifetime for the gift of second life.

The Crows quickly learned that they would be facing a potentially massive out-of-pocket medical cost burden to make the transplant a reality. From medical costs like co-pays and medication to travel and temporary relocation expenses, they realized that they couldn’t handle the costs alone. That’s when they began fundraising with the national nonprofit Help Hope Live at https://helphopelive.org/campaign/16467/

Among the expenses Crow faces is the cost of a period of post-transplant recovery that requires three months of residence (at minimum) in a hotel near his medical center in Utah with a caregiver. Help Hope Live notes that transplant candidates like Crow are regularly forced to fundraise for these and other expenses to bring transplants within reach—in fact, transplant teams can require proof of ability to pay before adding a patient to the waiting list for an organ.

The Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser on November 15 includes spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, and dessert with a musical performance by Aaron Golay along with bingo, raffles, and a silent auction. Tickets are just $20 each at the door, and raffle tickets are one for $1 or six for $5. For more information, contact Amanda Crow at 208-358-7900 or mrscrow19@gmail.com.

Can’t make it? Make a donation to Help Hope Live in honor of Barry Wayne Crow II at any time at https://helphopelive.org/campaign/16467/ or by calling 800.642.8399. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all donations will be used to offset medical costs via Help Hope Live’s Northwest Transplant Fund.

Help Hope Live is a national nonprofit that specializes in engaging communities in fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness. Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised over $136 million to pay patient expenses.

###