Richard Lloyd, a founding member and guitarist of the influential rock band Television, has been diagnosed with bile-duct cancer.
Lloyd, 74, was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma
in March, according to a GoFundMe organized by his friend and Richard Lloyd Group bassist Sean Seymour. The musician has tumors in his liver, including one near a major blood vessel that doctors cannot safely remove through surgery, Seymour said.Cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, develops in the tubes that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine, according to Mayo Clinic. The disease affects about 8,000 people in the U.S. each year, according to Cleveland Clinic.
"Since his diagnosis, Richard has been through an extraordinary amount," Seymour
wrote on the GoFundMe page. "He has been in the ICU seven times, dealing with serious complications including sepsis twice, as well as complications involving his liver and kidneys. And through all of this, he’s fighting."
Despite the health challenges, Lloyd said he is trying to remain optimistic.
"I am usually a pretty upbeat person and I am taking this in stride, but it has become very difficult on our own and financially we are strapped," Lloyd said in a statement shared on the GoFundMe page. "That's why I'm asking for your help. If you can see your way clear to make a donation please do that. Otherwise, please pass it around to your friends that might help and people that know me."
Lloyd is currently unable to tour, which is "devastating" for "a working musician," Seymour wrote. His wife, Sheila, has also stopped working to serve as his full-time caregiver.
"Like most working musicians, Richard is being overwhelmed by crushing medical expenses and the ongoing costs of simply getting through each month while he is unable to work," Seymour added.
The fundraiser was created to help the couple cover medical bills, living expenses and other costs as Lloyd undergoes treatment. It has raised more than $53,000 toward an $80,000 goal as of Aug. 24.
Who is Richard Lloyd?
Lloyd helped form Television in New York City in 1973 alongside musicians including Tom Verlaine. The band became a fixture of New York's burgeoning punk scene and released its debut album, "Marquee Moon," in 1977.
Television initially disbanded in 1978 after releasing its second album, "Adventure," and later reunited. Lloyd left the group in 2007. Outside Television, Lloyd built a solo career spanning decades, releasing multiple albums beginning with 1979's "Alchemy."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Television guitarist Richard Lloyd diagnosed with rare cancer
