Tommy Lang gets some love at fundraiser to cover medical bills

Surrounded by over 300 family members, co-workers and friends Saturday night, longtime Iowa City-area radio host Tommy Lang felt like a new man.

The large crowd at the First Avenue Club was there to support him as part of a fundraiser to pay for a massive stack of bills incurred by a liver transplant in March, a much-needed procedure after Lang had gone for over a year with the failing organ.

While many drank Bloody Marys and glasses of wine, the 41-year-old radio host sat with a cup of water in hand. "I haven't had a drink since March of 2014. A doctor told me if I had another drink, I would die," Lang said Saturday night.

Because of years of hard drinking, Lang said, his liver started giving out as early as 2013. "Kind of ironic that I got a transplant on St. Patrick's Day," he said.

He racked up medical bills during much of 2014. "I drank so much before, I had dropped health insurance to afford it. That's how bad it was," Lang said. Finally, after contracting E. coli in November, he was told at Mercy Hospital that he would need a liver transplant.

Lang's sister Lisa Lloyd, who helped organized Saturday's fundraiser, said she was relieved when they finally got an answer for what could help heal her brother. "There was no time to be sad," Lloyd said. "We all got focused about getting him that liver."

It was in November of 2014 when he had to leave work at KCJJ, the radio station he had been on since 2005. When he heals 100 percent, Lang said, he'll be back on the air full time.

After spending the entire month of February in the hospital, Lang got news of a liver coming his way March 16. On March 17, he was going into surgery. All the televisions in the hospital were tuned to preparations for the St. Patrick's Day parade in Cedar Rapids, Lang said. "While they're setting up the parade, I'm being paraded into the O.R."

After the operation, Lang said, his health has improved every day. "He has surpassed everyone's expectations. Even the doctors were surprised," Lloyd said.

He still has fluid built up in his stomach and feet, but all the ailments are slowly going away. "I have part of another human being inside me. It's kind of a miracle this stuff can work," Lang said.

What isn't going away are the bills. Medications, past procedures, hospitals stays — the costs are staggering. "The hospital told us as soon as we found out that he needed a transplant that we needed to set up a fundraiser," Lloyd said.

Raising the money, and putting on the event, was easier than Lloyd had planned. Lang's co-workers at KCJJ advertised the fundraiser over the air and made connections to those who donated items to be raffled at the fundraiser; First Avenue Club gave the venue and provided food.

An account for Lang at the fundraising website GoFundMe had raised $14,286 as of Saturday night. More than 300 guests RSVP'ed to the event, according to Lloyd, and paid $15 for dinner, so more money is on the way.

"I'm lucky I got a second chance at life, but that comes at a large cost," Lang said. "The amount they've shared will help me for years down the line."

But throughout the night, dozens of friends, listeners, and co-workers past and present came by Lang's table to shake his hand, hug him and wish him luck.

"I think it's the mix of people that are here that is the best part of tonight. I'm seeing people from all over my life, and I can let them now what their help means," Lang said. "They're all here, just to help me out."

Reach Zach Berg at 319-887-5412, zberg@press-citizen.com, or follow him on Twitter at @ZacharyBerg.

How to help

Those wishing to help Tommy Lang can make donations at www.gofundme.com/tommylang.