'Stick Together For Liam': Illinois 8-Year-Old To Get Reconstructive Surgery

COAL VALLEY, IL — An 8-year-old from the Quad Cities area will receive a much-needed surgery after insurance initially refused to pay for it.

Liam Doxsee of Coal Valley was diagnosed at five days old with severe combined immunodeficiency that leaves him unable to fight off infection, according to his family. Lymphedema in his right leg has left him vulnerable to sepsis and cellulitis and kept him in the pediatric intensive care unit, family said, but reconstructive surgery would help.

“It breaks our heart that he is suffering so much pain, infection, and overall loneliness due to the limitations he has with his injured leg,” his mother, Mary Matheson, wrote in a GoFundMe for Liam.

The family’s insurance initially declined to help cover the $104,000 surgery, Matheson wrote. The surgeon who would do the procedure also conducts plastic surgery, which is what caused the insurance denial, according to WLS.

After media coverage of Liam’s story, Illinois Medicaid agreed to pay for the 12-hour procedure, now scheduled for Jan. 25 at the Cleveland Clinic, WGN reported.

"This has been a hard 8 years but Liam is absolutely incredible," Matheson wrote. "No matter how much debt, traveling, illnesses we will always stick together for Liam."

The family is still facing significant expenses related to pre- and post-operative costs and debt from past medical care and missed work, according to Matheson. Liam's GoFundMe remains open and had received more than $80,000 as of Monday evening, and a spaghetti dinner fundraiser is set for Jan. 15.