My name is Taylor and it’s time to buckle your seatbelts cause your in for a ride.
In 2016 (I was in 5th grade) my dad
was diagnosed with acute liver failure. He wasn’t a heavy drinker, which is what most assume someone is when they are diagnosed with this. Regardless, a month after admission to Houston Methodist, he had his first transplant. This failed, giving my dad 18 hours left to live. With one hour left, he was given a second transplant, this one being successful.
We thought we’d made it, the light at the end of a tunnel. Yet sadly, my dad started feeling ill again in 2018. He was then placed back on the transplant list once it was decided he’d need yet another transplant.
With his liver failing again, my dad was getting sicker and weaker. Ultimately he ended up losing his job, and for a bit over a year we had no income. Which put us in a horrible situation. So even to this day we are still recovering.
Thankfully my dad ended up getting accepted for disability, so he got a little bit of money a month for that.
But this wasn’t enough and My mom ended up getting a job as a registrar at a hospital. So she’s bringing in a bit of money too.
But as a kid who grew up with these problems, both medical and financially, I think a bit differently. By 12 i was more mature as a lot would say, even though now at 18, any time I feel I can act like a kid I do. I know a bit more medical knowledge then kids my age do, and I know the burdens of finances. I feel bad when I see prices, especially if it’s spent on me. So what a better way to make money for myself then making things that I love to sell?
But here’s the second thing. Everything I sell is green, everything I sell is related to Liver disease awareness. My dad that I mentioned had this disease, passed on March 26th 2022. In the end, a virus overtook his body. With his already failing liver, this virus took over and started to fail many other organs. Multiple organ failure was now a cause of death along with Liver failure and Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy—a broken heart. By my description, this fight for his life lasted around 6 years. And a broken heart can be cause by extreme stress. Knowing my dad had two kids and a wife he refused to leave behind, he fought and fought to stay alive for as long as he did. It’s no surprise he fought so hard that a cause of death ended up being the rare broken heart.
Since my life has revolved around Green and revolved around Liver Disease, I knew I had to do something to honor him and bring awareness to a disease that ruined his life. So now i’m making it my mission to sell Liver Disease awareness brackets to bring honor to those lost, to support those fighting, and to bring awareness to a disease that causes suffering. 💚
Quick little side note as well. I mentioned that my family is still struggling with finances. I am currently a Senior in Texas that has been accepted to Texas A&M in College Station! This had been my dream school for most of my life, and so i’m honored to be accepted, especially since I know my dad would’ve been proud. But paying for this school will be difficult for both me and my mom. So as I stated the money earned will be to help my family, but also to help loosen the load for my education. <3