Hi Friends and Family! We’re Nicole and Laurie. We are Jennifer and Jerry Ronk’s nieces. They have 2 daughters (and son in law) and more importantly, they have 3 grandkids they adore.

Back in late February, Uncle Jer noticed what he thought was a pimple on his arm. He didn’t think much of it, until his granddaughter Ellorie said “Geepaw, you have a nipple on your arm!” So, they made an appointment with the doctor, who agreed it should be removed. It was sent for biopsy.  They got the news that no one ever wants to hear, Cancer. Jer has been diagnosed with Melanoma. Specifically, the pathology report indicates Nevoid Melanoma Clarks Level 4. This means the cancer is deep in the tissue and this is unfortunately an aggressive cancer.

Jerry was referred to the University of Michigan Medical Center for treatment. He had an initial phone consult on March 31st to get things moving. He went April 30th for his first in person Oncology appt. At that appt, they did a complete visual body scan and THANKFULLY they didn’t find any other areas of concern. Uncle Jerry met with a surgeon this past Monday and is scheduled for surgery on May 30th. During the surgery they will biopsy the lymph nodes – which will take around a week to get results. If cancer is present in the lymph nodes, Uncle J will need a full body PET scan to see where else cancer might be. So, we are PRAYING hard that the cancer is contained to the spot on his arm!

While trying to process this diagnosis, Jer and Jen’s house caught fire. Thankfully they were not home but got an alert from their security camera system. They rushed home in time to save the pets, but smoke damage has caused them to throw out 90%+ of their belongings.  So now they’re living in a camper on their property. They are “lucky” that insurance is helping, however, the added stress to an already stressful time can be overwhelming.

Uncle Jerry and Aunt Jen are the type of people who are the ones helping others. When we asked about putting this gofundme together, their response was “there are people who have it worse than us”. They’re the kind of people who will figure it out and don’t want to feel like a burden to others. They have poured so much into taking care of others, their family, community, etc. We want to be able to return some of that support to them. So, we’re here asking you to help. Help us give them some peace of mind by not having to worry about finances. Because Cancer doesn’t care about that. But we do. Your help will contribute to medical bills, gas going to Ann Arbor and back, time off work, and eating out. Anyone that has been on this journey, unfortunately knows the unexpected things that come up.

If you do not have the means to donate financially, please keep them in your prayers. We believe in the power of prayer! We appreciate those just as much. And if you feel led, Uncle Jerry is a HUGE spartan fan – send him some merch!