Help A New Little Family On A Long Road Ahead

The Story Begins
My name is Allie, I am Shannon Williams’ older sister. My sister is my best friend on this planet. So when she started dating Chris Murphy a few years ago, nothing made me happier than seeing how much fun they had and how happy they made each other. A couple of years after they began dating, Shannon was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS. This diagnosis came paired with the doctor informing her that having children would be incredibly difficult, and that it was possible for her to never be able to get pregnant at all. All Shannon has ever wanted was to be a mommy, so when she told me that she and Chris made the decision to talk with a doctor and ultimately pay for various medications, in the hopes of having a baby, I was beyond thrilled for them and prayed that the medications would be successful.

A New and Exciting Chapter
When Shannon told me she was pregnant, I cried! Growing up with Shannon I always knew she would be a great mommy and over the years I have had the privilege of getting to watch Chris play with my now 4 year old son to whom he quickly passed along his avid love of the Clemson Tigers! I heard about how amazing of an uncle he is to his niece and nephew and from getting to spend a day with his nephew once, it was clear how much he looks up to his Uncle Chris. Needless to say, it was easy to see how much Chris loves kids and even easier to understand his hope of becoming a dad one day. He always said he wanted to have a son and their dreams came true with the news of a baby boy, who they excitedly decided will be a junior and go by CJ. Baby CJ is due on August 15th and there is no doubt in my mind that these two will be amazing parents to this sweet boy! And it has been so much fun getting to watch their excitement grow for this new journey they began together!

The Unimaginable
Unfortunately, on June 13th, everything changed. Chris suddenly became very sick. After a trip to the emergency room and an 8 day stay in the hospital, they got the difficult news that he was diagnosed with end stage liver failure. After about two weeks back at home, Chris’ health took a turn for the worse. Suddenly within just a few short weeks these two went from decorating a nursery and excitedly getting ready for baby CJ to finding out that Chris, who is only 35, would need a liver transplant immediately and without one, would only have a few months to live. The past few weeks have been a roller coaster of ups and downs. COVID resulting in a limited number of hospital visitors a day have only made this time even more emotionally challenging.

Hopes, Dreams and Prayers
It’s amazing how fast the things you hope, dream and pray for can quickly change. There have been many tears shed and prayers said over the last couple of weeks, and Chris has been so strong through it all, continuously focusing on getting better to be able to be here for Baby CJ. His condition was so severe that once a blood infection was cleared up he was approved for a transplant and was placed right at the top of the list. On Friday, July 24, 2020, Chris had a 7 hour surgery to receive the liver transplant he so desperately needed and is now recovering in the ICU.


A Long Road Ahead
While this is fantastic news and the news we have all been praying so hard for, this is only the first step in what will be a very long road. Chris hasn’t been able to work since June 12th. He has used up his paid leave, and is now on FMLA, but with no income. Liver transplants, on average, cost over $500,000. Chris’ insurance will pay for a lot, but Shannon and Chris will be responsible for covering a large portion of his overall hospital bills from each visit, long term stay, numerous procedures and transplant surgery. While this alone is a daunting amount of money to owe, they still have their daily and monthly expenses of mortgage, student loans, utilities, car and phone payments, gas (the hospital is 40 minutes from Shannon and Chris’ home), food, etc. All of that would be overwhelming enough, but there will inevitably be more...in a few short weeks they will also be adding the hospital bills of having the baby.

Shannon will then be on maternity leave and will have to take some weeks without pay. But even when she is able to return to work they will have the added costs of daycare and baby expenses. Their only consistent money source will be Shannon’s teacher income. It will be a long road of recovery for Chris and there is no way to know when he will be able to return to work.

Shannon and Chris, who are only 29 and 35 respectively, were eagerly getting ready for their precious baby boy just a few short months ago. And in the blink of an eye, their whole world changed.

Making the decision to reach out for help wasn’t an easy one. Anyone who knows them knows that Shannon and Chris are and have always been incredibly hardworking, caring, dedicated and passionate people. They have worked hard to save and prepare for baby CJ, but no one could have ever predicted this situation to unfold. And when the severity of the situation was realized, so was the realization that it was time to turn to the community for help.

Help A New Little Family
Please consider donating to help ease some of the stress for this new little family during this incredibly difficult time. Our goal of $50,000 will help them with the mounting bills and day to day/monthly expenses. We know we’re starting off big, but in the end this money will only be a drop in the bucket toward the insurmountable financial needs coming their way.

Imagine if Chris could be able go through the long and difficult road of recovering from his surgery, without the added stress of bills and money and providing for his family. And instead could solely focus on getting better and stronger and building happy memories with Shannon and his sweet baby boy that they hoped and prayed for.  I know that Shannon and Chris are surrounded by so many amazing people and with our powers combined not only will we achieve this goal for this new little family, we will surpass it and then some!!