My name is Willie McLemore and I am a 54 year old male, and was in law enforcement for 28 years. I started my career in 1993 at the Indiana State prison as a correctional officer and after moving up the ranks, I decided to leave corrections as a Correctional Lieutenant in 1999. In July 1999 I was hired into the Gary Indiana police department as a sworn police officer.

After 4 years as a patrol officer I was assigned to an FBI task force in 2003 investigating narcotic and gang activity in Northwest Indiana. After the completion of my assignment as a task force officer, I was then assigned to the Gary Indiana narcotics/vice unit as an undercover poilice officer. I was assigned to this unit for 17 and one half years at which time I became ill.

On the evening of April 8th 2021, i became very ill with stomach pain and a fever of 102 +. The following day (April 9th), i was taken to the local Emergency room for an evaluation. I remember being admitted into the hospital and had several IV's administered. After this, I do not recall anything, but this is what I was told at the end of May 2021.

The Doctors had told me I was diagnosed with a severe blood infection called sepsis. At that time I had never even heard of sepsis, or what it was. I was advised i went into a come on April 12th 2021 and was comatose for 14 or 15 days. During this time my organs were attacked by the blood infection and I had to go through dialysis for my kidneys, my heart rate was minimal, respirations were minimal and my liver was attacked as well. after being taken off the breathing machine I was eventually released from the hospital at the end of May 2021. After several trips back to emergency rooms and after being readmitted twice, i was again sent home. On or about July 5th I had an appointment with a GI doctor at which time I was given the news that I would have to have a liver transplant, and hopefully one would come available because I was given 3 to 6 months to live.

Back to the Hospital I go, and over the next 3 weeks they performed any and every test possible on me to make sure I qualified for the transplant. After completing all required tests i was finally put on the transplant list. luckily after being put on the list the wait was very short, only around 5 days. my liver trans[plant was completed on August 9th 2021 and was a success (so far). After a month more of being in the hospital and having therapy in the hospital I was transferred to Shirley Ryan rehab in Chicago where i spent the next week and finally sent home. 

As of today I am still in outpatient rehab and learning to walk again. I have finally been able to "ditch" the walker and and im on my own but still holding items around the house to steady myself. All in all im doing much better. Before sepsis I was 240 pounds and post transplant i was down to 148 pounds, but have since regained around 20 pounds to an ideal weight.

As far as work goes I will never be able to return to law enforcement. I did qualify for Social Security Disability but it is only 600$ per month. Police officers in Indiana are not required pay SS taxes. But I was able to collect from social security due to my side job  as an investigator with county community corrections. Needless to say my income has been cut by way more than half, and with medical bills and co pays there isnt much left. So I guess you could say "I need a Bounce"