06/06/2026
Update on William ❤️
So, William has suffered from on-and-off abdominal pain since 2013, and he finally got some answers.
Over the years, he experienced multiple episodes of diverticulitis (an infection and inflammation of small pockets that can form in the intestines). Some episodes were treated, some were misdiagnosed, and some unfortunately went untreated. The plan for surgery was to remove the damaged portion of his intestine to help prevent future infections, pain, and complications.
Once the surgeons got inside, they discovered much more damage than anyone realized. They found multiple areas of his intestines that were severely scarred and damaged. Some sections had actually become attached to other internal structures where they should not have been. They also found an abscess full of infection that had not shown up on any of his scans. Because it was hidden deep within folds of tissue, the antibiotics were unable to fully reach it, which explains why the infection continued to linger and why he wasn't getting better.
William now has what is called an ileostomy. In simple terms, the surgeons created a temporary opening on his abdomen that allows his intestines to heal while waste exits the body into a special pouch instead of passing through the area that was operated on. This is temporary and is expected to be reversed in approximately 6 weeks. At that time, he will undergo another surgery to reconnect his intestines and restore normal bowel function.
The best news is that he is looking amazing, already feeling so much better, and for the first time in a very long time, feeling hopeful. Tonight he actually said he was craving food! He hasn't wanted to eat anything in over a month, so that was a huge milestone for all of us.
As always, he wants to thank each and every one of you for the love, prayers, messages, donations, cards, calls, and encouragement. Every time it is brought up, both he and Liz tear up. They feel incredibly blessed, humbled, and overwhelmed by the support they have received from this amazing community.
Our team wants to thank you as well. William means so much to so many people, including all of us. Today was a very stressful day as he was in surgery for over 4 long hours. We stayed positive, leaned on our faith, and prayed continuously.
God delivered.
Please continue to keep William in your thoughts and prayers as these next several days are still very important to his recovery. We are hopeful that this is finally the beginning of getting him back to the healthy, strong, stubborn, hardworking man we all know and love. ❤️
