How O3 was Founded:

The Outlaw Foundation was founded based on Prayer.  My name is Bill Outlaw; I have an amazing family-my wife Candace and our two kids, Gage 9, and Reece 7.  On Memorial Day weekend 2012 I found out that I had AML 4, a blood Cancer known as Leukemia.  I found this out through a routine physical.  I had no symptoms or signs that made me go in for anything more than my physical.  This where the story begins and shows you how God steps in and leads you.  I had called my doctor’s office one week prior to my actual physical date to get an appointment with my doctor.  The receptionist told me that it would be six months before I could see my doctor due to his schedule.  I agreed that would be fine and before I hung up the phone a cancellation came up on his schedule for the following week and I was able to get that one scheduled.  This was Gods Intervention.  I had my physical the following Thursday and on Friday I received the news.  Candace met me there and we went straight to the Oncologist.  On Monday (Memorial Day) I went into the hospital to start the induction (7 and 3).  The support from my family and friends was overwhelming.  My oncologist was new to me at the time but he is now like family to us.  Toward the end of my four week induction process I got a rare infection called Tyflitus.  This type of infection is severe and has a 60/40 mortality rate.  After a two week battle with this I made a turn for the better just before being airlifted to Chapel Hill to receive surgery.  My four weeks had now turned into six weeks of stay.  For someone that has never been trapped in a place for this long, you can only imagine my state of mind.    Finally, I was released to come home to my family with weekly visits back to my doctor for blood work.  Biopsies were good and I had about a month off before starting my consolidation treatments.  We spent this time at the beach and home.  Doctors like to see four of these treatments if possible and they each require a stay in the hospital for one week and then you are home for three weeks before starting again.  With that said I started my first of four on a Monday and went through it with a breeze.  Check out of the hospital on Saturday morning and went home.  The second treatment a month later was supposed to be a repeat of the first, but for me I contracted my second severe infection the week after the second treatment.  It was called Colitis.  This infection I do not remember most of but I made another turn for the best just in time.  I should explain that Tiflitus is and infection that attacks and kills the intestines and Colin.  Colitis is less severe and inflames the Colin and intestines without the bleeding.  So, after making my turn for the better, I went home again.  This time in a walker and not able to help myself at all.  I was in terrible pain that I cannot explain to you.  I remember just begging God for help.  I was in so much pain, and with this infection, the effects it leaves can last for a month.  My oncologist conferred with an AML specialist from the UCLA at a conference he attended and they both agreed to stop with two treatments.  The difference between two and three treatments showed very little difference in recurrences so we stopped.  I don’t know if I could make another recovery.  Since then I have made a full recovery and have had more biopsies that show full remission.  So with you knowing my history now, I wanted to get to how this O3 Foundation came about.  For days and nights after my recovery, I Prayed to God over and over begging for an answer to why he let me survive this.   I promised whatever he had for me, I would make him proud and do it to the fullest of my ability, just give me the answer and I will get started.  In January of this year, one of our good friends found out she had AML and my oncologist sent her straight to Chapel Hill for treatment because it was further along than mine had been.  That Friday night of the week she found out, Candace and I went up to visit with her.  I tried to prepare myself before entering the room, thinking I was about to walk into an emotional situation.  When we went in to my surprise, it was upbeat beyond our belief.  We sat down and talked and she kept referring to me and what she was about to endure.  A lady doctor came in and started explaining the start of the induction process and what to expect.  After she was done talking our friend asked me did I have any questions for the doctor.  I was a little shocked; then the doctor looked at me and said you are the one.  I said yes it is me.  She said well she had referred to me several times since she had arrived in Chapel Hill.  After that we stayed a little longer and she began her first Chemo treatment.  We went home and about 3:00 am I felt like I had been slapped in the face.  It was clear at that time and moment what God’s Purpose was for me.  I had heard of these things happening to people, but never before had it happened to me.  I would say that this is called a spiritual awakening.  I went about the next couple of days pondering what had happen and what direction I was heading.  While in our bathroom I called Candace back to me and told her that I needed to talk with her.  She immediately had that look on her as if something was wrong.  I said no, this is great.  I began telling her what had happen and that I wanted to start a foundation to help others financially or any other way that we could.  After, talking she went on her way to exercise.  She stopped in the middle of exercising and said she had it.  The name should be The Outlaw Foundation called O3 (Outlaw Outlast Outlive) I said that is perfect.  So I began my drawing of how I kind of wanted the logo to look.   The next day I started the process by contacting my attorney for a meeting along with my CPA.  That same day, Candace called me and said you will never believe this but our son’s shirt was one from his past baseball season’s and had the name “Outlaw” on the back with the number “3” on it.  Here was another sign for us to show that we were on the right track.  I knew I wanted to make it a non-profit and I vowed to never take a dime from this.  The goal of the foundation is to help others during these unfortunate difficult times.  Many people lose everything they have worked for their entire lives.  Our goal is to cut all of the red tape and let nurses and doctors tell us who needs the help.  They know best.  Then we can come in and make mortgage payments, electric bill payments, hotel expenses, or provide gas cards.  I am in debt to God for healing and Blessing me and my family.  So I have promised I would do this, and I will see this become reality.  Thank all of you that have Prayed for me and my family.  Prayers are the most powerful thing on Earth.  Please keep that Prayers going because God always answers them, and please keep Praising God.