Wayne’s Liver Transplant Journey

Lets walk alongside him as he has for us all

Hi, everyone, I am Morgan, Wayne Cook’s daughter in-law. I am reaching out to you for your help.

 In 1985, Wayne contracted Hepatitis C from tainted plasma.  Wayne took the original Hepatitis C (horrific 18 month treatment) over 20 years ago and cleared the hepatitis C but due to years of damage to the liver and the harsh treatment, he was diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in (cirrhosis of the liver) in the Fall of 2022.

This is going to be a very long journey for Wayne and we are asking you all to help walk alongside him however you can, to help with the mounting medical expenses (out of pocket medication costs, numerous long distance travel to doctor appointments, requiring overnight stays as well as additional travel and testing as he is on a list in several states). Liver transplant recipients pay 20% out of pocket. That’s a hefty number. One Wayne did not foresee when he had to retire. Your help will ease the financial stress for future treatments and financial obligations. This will allow him to focus on his health, treatments, and recovery. Wayne was diagnosed with severe hemophilia B at age 6.

For nearly 40 years Wayne has been an active member of the bleeding disorder community by volunteering and advocating for those in need. His willingness to help others and make a difference was an integral contribution to the fight for the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998. Unfortunately those who contracted hepatitis C were never compensated.

Wayne has sat on the board of directors for organizations such as Hemophilia Federation of America, The National Bleeding Disorder Foundation as well as becoming chapter president for the Bleeding Disorders Association of Eastern New York and Bleeding Disorders Association of the Southern Tier.  In 2006, Wayne has been the president of The Coalition for Hemophilia B.

Wayne is dedicated to using his experiences to improve the quality of life of all affected by hemophilia. He urges the community to “get out there, get involved and enjoy living life to its fullest.”

As a family, we are eternally grateful for your continued support and unwavering generosity.

No contribution is too small. We realize this will take a village and we also ask for your continued prayers for Wayne.  Your phone calls and outreach have made a world of difference as this is a scary place to be but your love and care fills his heart and gives him strength. You make a difference.

Thank you all.

Update 8/12/2024:

Wayne met with many great doctors and nurses at the Cleveland Clinic. We learned that he may be a candidate for a living donor transplant. He still has to meet with the cardiology team in a few weeks, and after that, the cardiology and transplant teams will decide if he is eligible for both open heart and transplant surgery simultaneously. If a living donor is an option and everything checks out, we can start looking for a donor, have them tested, and then schedule the surgeries.

We also discovered that if Wayne goes the transplant route, we might need to arrange for a life flight to get there, which is not covered by insurance, so we need to explore that further since it’s very expensive. Wayne also has appointments later this month with Duke University Health and their transplant team. The goal is to try to get listed at multiple hospitals to improve his chances. However, we were really impressed with Cleveland Clinic and everything we've learned so far. What stood out was their extensive knowledge about hemophilia. We will continue to keep you updated as things progress. Thank you all for your continued support.

Thank you all