We are devastated to share that Jim lost his fight with cancer on Saturday, March 21, 2026.

With that in mind, we are asking for continued support for his widow, Cheryl Harden. Not only does Cheryl have to deal with this great personal loss, but the situation is compounded with the financial burdens of medical bills and other general living costs. Jim carried 75% of the family income which is now no longer available.

In addition to that, The Breakfast Nook, the restaurant Cheryl has owned and operated for over 20 years, is facing increasingly high food costs and low profits which has made it difficult to do little more than break even the past 5 years.

Cheryl is one of the most giving women we know - giving to charities, local teams, friends and family, and her church. She now needs that reciprocated to help her stay afloat and figure out this new reality without Jim.

Thank you for helping us show her how much she is loved and filling in this gap.

________________________

See below for Jim's story:

June 28, 2025 was just a normal summer evening. Jim and Cheryl were visiting Jensen Beach for a mini vacation, and we all just finished dinner. That evening, Jim wasn't feeling well. What we thought was a stomach ache from bad tacos turned out to be a massive softball-sized tumor growing on Jim's liver that burst in the middle of the night.

For the next week he would be in the hospital as doctors tried to figure out what was happening and stop the internal bleeding.

Finally, a few months later, we found out what was wrong; Jim has stage 4 liver cancer. He began chemo treatments, intent on fighting.

It has been 9 months since that incident. 9 months of fighting to stay here for his girls & his wife & his family. For his chickens and homestead. For hunting and bonfires. Quiet mornings with coffee and trips with those he loves. He was supposed to retire soon. They were supposed to live out old age together. He was supposed to watch his girls grow up.

He wasn't supposed to be in pain and unable to get up. Unable to eat. In and out of the hospital. Debilitated by pain.

This past Monday they stopped the chemo; it wasnt working.

They were hoping to start a clinical trial soon to try to beat this.

On Tuesday, one day later, he checked into the hospital and hasn't checked back out.

Jim is fighting for his life.

My mom and Jim never ask for anything at all. Right now, I'm asking for support -- monetary because they are drowning in medical debt.

But also prayers. If you pray, please pray for a miracle. We are trusting and seeking God's grace to give us some more time. There never truly is enough.

Mary Oliver said, "What will you do with this wild and precious life?"

Jim made sure to love others well & to take care of them. I hope to show him that its reciprocated. I hope that we can help alleviate some of the massive medical debt so my mom and Jim can breathe and focus on fighting for just a little more time.