SMITHFIELD – Life has been so far off from typical for so long now, that Fred Boothman isn’t quite sure what to expect from a return to normalcy.
But one thing is for sure, says the Smithfield resident: if all goes according to plan, life will be better than it’s been, and that’s thanks to a generous donor and the many other people who have been there for him.
A man named Chris, also of Smithfield, plans to donate a portion of his liver to Boothman during a complex transplant surgery on Sept. 21. From what he knows, said Boothman, Chris was one of nine people who went through the process to see if they were a match on a range of criteria. That’s consistent with typical statistics of one in 10 potential donors making it through to the final stage.
Boothman told The Local Insider he’s so thankful for the outpouring of support he’s received following a January story on his chronic condition and need for a liver, and it was that story that led so many people to know about his condition and want to help him.
Boothman has lived for years with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, or PSC, a progressive liver and bile duct disease affecting about 30,000 people in the U.S. and one in 10,000 worldwide.
Boothman said he knows Chris from their days together at Church of the Cross in Smithfield, and he’s so grateful to him for his willingness to sacrifice to give him renewed life. Their families got to know each other a bit through prior life events, and now they’re doing so a lot more. He said they’ve talked about how great it will be to take a picture together on the other side of surgery.
Boothman, his wife Leah, and their children were recently able to get away for a pre-surgery vacation, and they’re now making final preparations on their home, with help from donations, including upgrades to their well to ensure that there are no risks to his health from the water.
It’s hard to believe the procedure is only three weeks away, says Boothman, and he’s learned more than he’d maybe like to know about the complexity of a surgery that one might compare to replacing a car engine and needing to get every detail just right.
“There are things you never would have thought of,” he said.
To be able to schedule such a life-changing event is crazy on the one hand, says Boothman, and trying to prepare for it and have everything in order has been difficult to manage while doing regular tasks.
“I believe I’ve been somewhat putting off this procedure in the back of my mind as I try to manage things at work and around the home,” he postded. “However, it’s right around the corner. There are many questions I face in having this procedure and in this journey with my health: Am I still created in the image of God in this sick or flawed state? How can God use me, and what does God have for me? What if…?”
Being immunocompromised for the rest of his life, he said, “feels like a major crutch and vulnerability. Yet, it shows me that I have no control over many things in this life. I have complained, compared, doubted, and fought through anger in trying to understand the great question of why.”
Boothman said he is so thankful for everyone who has helped them get “some of those big boxes” checked off in advance of this life-changing surgery.
He has been undergoing smaller procedures in preparation for the main event and being immunocompromised, including an infusion for bone density. His next appointment is a pre-surgery walk-thru with the surgical team at Mass General for final sign-off on everything involved.
He said he could be more fearful and work himself up, but he’s become more at peace as the date draws closer. It’s a little bit reassuring that someone else will be going through the same surgery, he added, and they’ve joked about who will be the first one to tap out. More seriously, this is a situation calling for a mix of courage and trust that God has put everything in place.
Boothman said he’s been encouraged reading the stories of other recipients and the life they were able to lead after surgery, including one who recently ran a marathon.
His primary task in recovery will be “keeping everything at bay,” he said, taking the right steps to build up his immunity and strength.
He said he was a little down about data he saw, thinking that he will only have maybe a decade with this liver, but was encouraged after learning that the medical community simply doesn’t keep records past 10 years, so the data just isn’t there. Plenty of people live decades with their new liver, he said.
Fred and Leah have at times gotten in the habit of waiting for the next shoe to drop, he said, and they’re trying now to live more hopefully while allowing God to work in and through them. There will be some bumps along the way, he said, but they know they can pray through it.
The post-surgery reality will mean constant visits to Boston to make sure his body doesn’t reject the liver, and they will have a lot of family and friend support to help out with their children and other needs. People have been so generous to fund home improvements that had been put off as his condition deteriorated, including his brother completing extensive carpentry. A UV light filter in the new well system will ensure that there are no microorganisms in the water, eliminating all risk on that front.
Boothman also thanked everyone who has encouraged him and his family publicly and privately, and those who have prayed for them throughout.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for walking alongside us,” he said. “Your prayers, encouragement, generosity, and love have carried us more than you will ever know.”
So many have reached out to lend support, including staff of Smithfield schools, where Leah substitute teaches, and people from his current church, Hope Church, and former church, Church of the Cross.
Some answers he’s been able to provide to people in response to their questions, Boothman said, but some he won’t know until after surgery. This is a condition that impacts people in so many different ways, including differences in hair loss, bone density, itchiness, and absorption. Highlighting what it does to individuals will help the medical community better understand it, he said.
Boothman said he’s leaving the door open on how God will use him and his life testimony going forward to encourage others. He’s never going to be that guy with the sign on his head, he said, but he hopes his story encourages others, and he’s curious about how God will work through him.
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