An East Texas musician known for his performances across the region is now fighting for his life as he awaits a possible liver transplant.<\/p>\n
Clint Alford, a longtime country and rock performer, is battling a life-threatening condition caused by a blood clot near his liver, leading to repeated internal bleeding and hospitalizations. Doctors say a transplant may be his only option.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just trying to keep things as normal as whatever normal is,\u201d his wife, Rachel Alford, said. \u201cIt feels like we\u2019ve lived our whole year in the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doctors say the clot, first discovered after a car accident in 2019, has hardened over time and is now blocking blood flow, causing dangerous pressure throughout his body. The result has been severe internal bleeding, particularly in his esophagus, requiring frequent procedures and blood transfusions.<\/p>\n
Despite extensive treatment, including blood thinners, attempted procedures and care at multiple major medical centers, Rachel Alford said nothing has worked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve done everything,\u201d she said. \u201cEverything they\u2019ve done since then has just been a bandage until the next episode.\u201d<\/p>\n
The condition has worsened significantly in recent months. Alford has spent weeks at a time in the hospital, including multiple stints on a ventilator.<\/p>\n
Repeated procedures and intubation have also damaged his vocal cords, making it difficult for him to speak or sing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t sound the same anymore,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s made it an immense struggle for him to even sing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alford, who built his career playing shows across East Texas and beyond, had been performing several nights a week before his health declined. Friends say his absence has been felt across the local music scene.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has this unique ability to take a cover song and make it his,\u201d said friend and event organizer Travis Tapley.<\/p>\n
Now, fellow musicians and supporters are organizing a benefit concert and auction to help cover mounting medical expenses, as the family also navigates insurance challenges tied to his care.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople that don\u2019t even know us have reached out,\u201d she said. \u201cEverybody has just been incredibly kind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doctors are expected to decide soon on whether Alford will be placed on the transplant list, a decision that could determine his path forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just kind of hanging right now,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s really his last option.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those who want to help can contact organizers Ben Stuart or Travis Tapley\u00a0<\/a>through Facebook to donate items or get involved in the benefit and auction. A GoFundMe for Alford\u2019s medical expenses is also available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The benefit is scheduled for June 6 at ETX Brewing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An East Texas musician known for his performances across the region is now fighting for his life as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":262248,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[98166,98164,98165,63320,98163,27,29,28],"class_list":["post-262247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-blood-transfusions","tag-clint-alford","tag-internal-bleeding","tag-liver-transplant","tag-rachel-alford","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=262247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262247\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/262248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=262247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=262247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=262247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}