Contribute to the Emmer family in memory of Jeff

On August 17th, Jeff Emmer tested positive for COVID. Two days later, it was becoming increasingly more difficult for him to breathe so his wife, Kim, took him to urgent care. There, he was diagnosed with COVID pneumonia and immediately admitted to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo.

The medical staff determined Jeff needed the assistance of a ventilator on Saturday, August 21st. Kim was able to see Jeff that day for one-hour, but his children were not, due to hospital visiting policies. The ventilator was expected to take some stress off of Jeff's body so it could "rest" and give him a better chance to fight. Unfortunately, a few days after being placed on the ventilator, Jeff developed MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) which is a bacteria that is resistant to many antibiotics. This would put another hurdle in his path to beat COVID but antibiotics were immediately administered to fight the MRSA.

Unfortunately, Kim received more discouraging news when doctors informed her that Jeff's kidneys were showing signs of distress and he would need dialysis. Kim still wasn't able to visit Jeff but she prayed hard, kept her faith and stayed strong for their two kids who were both starting their first days at new schools.

Kim discussed options to have Jeff transferred to University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) or Spectrum Health System (Grand Rapids) but it was determined he would need to remain at Bronson Methodist due to numerous reasons including capacity restrictions. Jeff remained stable but very critical.

On the afternoon of Friday, September 3rd, Jeff Emmer passed away.

Those who knew Jeff, knew that he was a lot of wonderful things that words cannot even begin to describe. Most of all, he was husband to Kim for what would've been 20 years this October. He was also the very proud father of Noah, a freshman at Hackett Catholic, and Addie, a 6th grader at Mattawan Middle School.

As Kim and the kids navigate through this unimaginable tragedy, there will be outrageous amounts of expenses. Any donations received will go directly to Kim and be used to cover the cost of Jeff's medical care and provide future education for their children.

Thank you for your consideration, love and support. The Emmer family is so incredibly grateful and blessed for your generosity.