James Gardner is facing terminal liver failure after years of living and treating a skin condition that he said developed from exposure to certain chemicals in his work as a precast concrete specialist. Gardner is unable to work due to his illness and has struggled to gain disability benefits
Amanda McCoy
FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
After leaving Oklahoma, James Gardner built a life for himself in Fort Worth. Now, he could lose it all.
When Gardner walks into doctor’s offices to receive treatment for his terminal liver failure, he has to ask staff to remove all the air fresheners for his skin condition.
Gardner has multiple chemical sensitivity, which he says was caused by his time as a concrete specialist working with two-part epoxy resin. The illness causes him to break out anytime he gets around chemicals. Air fresheners, perfumes, cleaning supplies and paint spark allergy flare-ups that can last for 10 days.
Concrete work is known to cause health problems. Cement plants can also cause respiratory or cardiovascular issues, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Gardner, a Kiowa, enjoys spending time by the lake to go fishing and hiking, activities he says remind him of home in Bethany, Oklahoma.
James Gardner is facing terminal liver failure after years of living and treating a skin condition that he said developed from exposure to certain chemicals in his work as a precast concrete specialist. Gardner is unable to work due to his illness and has struggled to gain disability benefits Amanda McCoy FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
Gardner has three sons, twins who just turned 18, and one who is 14. At one point, he homeschooled his children because they were increasingly getting sick, causing Gardner to also fall ill.
James Quigg first met Gardner in high school in Oklahoma, where he was given the nickname “NDN” after enduring bullying for being Native American, and kids calling him “Indian”. A few of Gardner’s friends started calling him “NDN” and it stuck.
Now, Quigg started a GoFundMe to help prevent Gardner from losing his house, as he is unable to work and has faced challenges receiving disability.
“I love it. I want the awareness to be out there,” Gardner said.
Garnder was denied disability the first two times he applied for it. It wasn’t until his third application that he was approved, because of his internal organs shutting down.
“We still joke, even when we’re talking about death,” Quigg said, adding that Gardner is always positive and funny, despite a terminal diagnosis.
Quigg said it is Gardner’s caring personality that sticks out to him most. Quigg once had a leak in his house that needed to be repaired. Without hesitation, Gardner stepped in to help, despite the fact that the paint and adhesives made his body swell and blister the following day.
“He’ll help you with anything with no expectation of getting anything out of it, other than just having a good time and just helping out people,” Quigg said.
To get his mind off of his diagnosis, Gardner enjoys reading, specifically engineering books. During his career as a concrete specialist, he was able to help write a manual about concrete variables.
Throughout his illness, Gardner’s friends have shown up to help him in various ways, such as mowing his lawn, cooking and delivering groceries.
“My family model that I was raised on is to help, no questions asked.” Gardner said. “You do what you can as long as you can, and I’m starting to see all that I put out there coming back,” Gardner said.
This story was originally published September 18, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Maven Navarro is a local news reporter at the Star-Telegram. She covers Fort Worth and Tarrant County.