Friends crowdfund over $40K for Vancouver man in urgent need of liver transplant

Friends of a Vancouver man who desperately needs a second liver transplant have remarkably crowdfunded more than $40,000 in less than a week to help him.

Jordan Derhouson suffers from a rare autoimmune disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis. The long-term progressive disease attacks the bile ducts in the liver and gallbladder, gradually causing severe liver damage and eventually liver failure.

Derhouson was diagnosed with the disease when he was 19 years old and underwent his first liver transplant at age 27. Sadly, the disease can recur in the transplanted liver.

Now 34, his liver has begun to deteriorate sooner than doctors expected it to, and he is in urgent need of a new transplant.

Close friend Erin Bilyk said due to the complicated nature of the transplant surgery, Vancouver General Hospital had deemed it too risky to perform.

“Because of this, Jordan is looking for a facility in another province or country that would be willing to attempt the surgery,” she said. “VGH is helping him find another hospital with the means to do the transplant.

“A new liver will give him more years, is basically what it comes down to. He’s just the most wonderful person, and he’s had such a rough hand dealt to him.”

Bilyk said if they couldn’t find a facility in Canada to agree to attempt the transplant, Derhouson would be forced to look at international options and the surgery itself would be an out of pocket expense on top of daily living expenses.

Extremely ill at VGH, Derhouson has been unable to work for several months and his friends and fiancé started a fundraiser on the weekend to support him through his illness and the cost of the transplant.

Since Sunday, Jan. 5. the Gofundme page has hit $44,110 of a $50,000 goal.

“It’s gone beyond anything we could have imagined in such a short time,” Bilyk said.

Fighting to live for love

Derhouson and his fiancé, Jill Clarke, had been planning to get married at the end of March, but because his illness has progressed so quickly the two are now going to elope in the coming weeks with a small circle of family and friends.

“I knew him when he had his last transplant, and he didn’t have Jill in his life then, and I think having her has been really amazing,” Bilyk said.

“I know that before he met her, he said he would never go through another transplant. He said he felt underprepared for how awful the recovery would be.

“He’s changed his tune now and I think having her and her support has been really motivating for him. I think having that happiness has helped him.”

A heartfelt thank you

In a post to the Gofundme page on Jan. 7, Clarke said the response to the fundraiser had been incredibly overwhelming.

“Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought that within 36 hours we’d raise this much money,” Clarke wrote.

“No amount of thanks feels close to adequate to show appreciation and gratitude for the generosity that has been shown to Jordan and I,” she wrote.

“It has been so incredibly overwhelming, in the best possible way, to see and feel the outpouring of love and support from so many people.”

Doctors have told Derhouson they would like to have him ready for a transplant within six months or less.

Those who would like to contribute to the fundraiser can do so at Help for Jordan Derhouson.