Rene and Ken Hammond Medical Fund
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I am creating this account for a collegue and friend. I met Ken Hammond three years ago when I started working at Westside Elementary. I quickly realized that he is one of the most loving and caring people I had ever met. He is a very hard working 2nd grade teacher and devoted husband and father. He is a man of God.
Like my husband and I, Ken and his wife Rene are high school sweet hearts. One only needs to visit with Ken a few minutes to see how much he loves his wife and how devoted he is to her. Over the past several years Rene has struggled with her health and Ken has very lovingly cared for her every step of the way.
Rene is a diabetic. Six months after she retired from working to care for her grandchildren- Levi and Lily (there was no retirement plan with her work) she had a stroke in the nerve connection point of her left hip. This rendered her unable to walk. After numerous trips to the Mayo Clinic to find a treatment to help her regain her mobility, the hospital discovered that she was in stage 4 renal failure AND had Waldenstrom's Syndrome. This is a rare non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (blood cancer). She began dialysis 3 days a week. Because her husband, Ken, is a second grade teacher and his daughter; Mallory, a single mom, is a self-employed esthetician; the family had to make arrangements for medical transport to take Rene' to and from each of her dialysis treatments. Dialysis caused Rene' to be sick to her stomach and her blood pressure would drop dramatically. When this happened they would stop the dialysis process and she would be carried home. After a few emergency bouts with Rene' being unable to breathe, ambulance rides to the hospital, and emergency dialysis, Rene' was soon diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The illness is not chronic, but when dialysis does not run it's full cycle, fluid collects in her chest cavity causing her lungs and heart to struggle. Dialysis was controlling the cancer and she appeared to be in remission. Then during a scheduled doctor's visit on Tuesday, June 7 they discovered all of her "numbers" were going down hill. She had gone days without eating, slept constantly, did not interact with friends or family. At sometime, and they don't know how long ago, dialysis had stopped successfully controlling her cancer. This came as a huge shock to Ken and Rene' because their oncologist at the time had said she would no longer need to follow up with him; in essence she was cured by dialysis. On June 7th she was sent directly to the hospital where doctors again began trying to determine the best way to treat her illness. During this time the family experienced many horrible days as Rene' struggled with intense pain, days that she fortunately does not remember. She slept all of the time. Rene' has been in the hospital since June 7th with no projected discharge date and is still waiting on a diagnosis.
Through all of this the family has maxed out their credit with hospital equipment- oxygen machines, wheel chair, hospital bed, medications and support equipment not covered by insurance prior to Rene' going on Medicare. The many trips to the Mayo Clinic and to the local hospital have caused the family to incur lodging, meal, and other travel expenses. Ken has had to juggle creditors as he places Rene', her medical treatments, and bills as the primary priority of his attention.
The only transportation that the Hammond's have is a Dodge Dakota quad cab pickup truck which Rene' is unable to get into. They must borrow a car from Rene's mother and father to enable her to transfer via slide board from her wheel chair into the car.
A family friend recently donated a motorized chair for Rene' to use to get around, but it will require a great deal of physical therapy before she can transfer to the chair from her hospital bed independently.
In the near future the family will need to get a vehicle that will not only allow Rene' easier access to transportation, but one that will support the lift that will enable them to take the power chair with them when they go out.
It has taken a great deal of persuasion to get the Hammond's to agree to let others minister to them. Ken feels broken and also feels as if he is the reason they are in the dire straights they are in. He wishes that earlier in their marriage that they had been instructed on the way to be good stewards with the resources that God has provided. A lesson that he prays that younger men and women will take seriously as they mature and grow in their areas of employment.
Ken's love and devotion for his wife and family is an inspiration for others. He is a model for what it means for a man to love a woman. He is the kindest person I have ever met and would do anything for anyone. Let us help him out in his time of need.
Romans 12:8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Like my husband and I, Ken and his wife Rene are high school sweet hearts. One only needs to visit with Ken a few minutes to see how much he loves his wife and how devoted he is to her. Over the past several years Rene has struggled with her health and Ken has very lovingly cared for her every step of the way.
Rene is a diabetic. Six months after she retired from working to care for her grandchildren- Levi and Lily (there was no retirement plan with her work) she had a stroke in the nerve connection point of her left hip. This rendered her unable to walk. After numerous trips to the Mayo Clinic to find a treatment to help her regain her mobility, the hospital discovered that she was in stage 4 renal failure AND had Waldenstrom's Syndrome. This is a rare non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (blood cancer). She began dialysis 3 days a week. Because her husband, Ken, is a second grade teacher and his daughter; Mallory, a single mom, is a self-employed esthetician; the family had to make arrangements for medical transport to take Rene' to and from each of her dialysis treatments. Dialysis caused Rene' to be sick to her stomach and her blood pressure would drop dramatically. When this happened they would stop the dialysis process and she would be carried home. After a few emergency bouts with Rene' being unable to breathe, ambulance rides to the hospital, and emergency dialysis, Rene' was soon diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The illness is not chronic, but when dialysis does not run it's full cycle, fluid collects in her chest cavity causing her lungs and heart to struggle. Dialysis was controlling the cancer and she appeared to be in remission. Then during a scheduled doctor's visit on Tuesday, June 7 they discovered all of her "numbers" were going down hill. She had gone days without eating, slept constantly, did not interact with friends or family. At sometime, and they don't know how long ago, dialysis had stopped successfully controlling her cancer. This came as a huge shock to Ken and Rene' because their oncologist at the time had said she would no longer need to follow up with him; in essence she was cured by dialysis. On June 7th she was sent directly to the hospital where doctors again began trying to determine the best way to treat her illness. During this time the family experienced many horrible days as Rene' struggled with intense pain, days that she fortunately does not remember. She slept all of the time. Rene' has been in the hospital since June 7th with no projected discharge date and is still waiting on a diagnosis.
Through all of this the family has maxed out their credit with hospital equipment- oxygen machines, wheel chair, hospital bed, medications and support equipment not covered by insurance prior to Rene' going on Medicare. The many trips to the Mayo Clinic and to the local hospital have caused the family to incur lodging, meal, and other travel expenses. Ken has had to juggle creditors as he places Rene', her medical treatments, and bills as the primary priority of his attention.
The only transportation that the Hammond's have is a Dodge Dakota quad cab pickup truck which Rene' is unable to get into. They must borrow a car from Rene's mother and father to enable her to transfer via slide board from her wheel chair into the car.
A family friend recently donated a motorized chair for Rene' to use to get around, but it will require a great deal of physical therapy before she can transfer to the chair from her hospital bed independently.
In the near future the family will need to get a vehicle that will not only allow Rene' easier access to transportation, but one that will support the lift that will enable them to take the power chair with them when they go out.
It has taken a great deal of persuasion to get the Hammond's to agree to let others minister to them. Ken feels broken and also feels as if he is the reason they are in the dire straights they are in. He wishes that earlier in their marriage that they had been instructed on the way to be good stewards with the resources that God has provided. A lesson that he prays that younger men and women will take seriously as they mature and grow in their areas of employment.
Ken's love and devotion for his wife and family is an inspiration for others. He is a model for what it means for a man to love a woman. He is the kindest person I have ever met and would do anything for anyone. Let us help him out in his time of need.
Romans 12:8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Give $50 to help get this fundraiser to its goal
Organizer and beneficiary
Holly Morris
Organizer
Perry, GA
Kenneth Hammond
Beneficiary
