Support JoAnn Hamman’s Fight Against Cancer

The last 12+ months have been very confusing and frustrating for JoAnn and everyone who loves her!

Throughout fall of 2023 and spring of 2024, JoAnn started to experience discomfort in her abdomen. She began seeing doctors and specialists in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area, who essentially told her nothing was wrong. Her tests were coming back without answers. Meanwhile, her appetite was affected, she was nauseous, and losing weight at a staggering pace.

Although she continued to work until only recently, her quality of life diminished due to feeling weak and exhausted. She stopped driving and doing things she loves due rapid drops in blood pressure and fear of lightheadedness/fainting.

JoAnn would then be referred to Iowa City, with only minimal answers and none that explained the extent of symptoms she was experiencing.

Many tests had been completed (on multiple occasions) in Waterloo and Iowa City but yielded few answers. Because of the lack of findings at University of Iowa Hospital, Mayo denied their referral.

Meanwhile JoAnn applied for permanent disability due to her weakness and continuous falls at home.

Left with no other alternative, JoAnn pursued holistic medicine. She loves her new local doctor and is finally feeling heard. Unfortunately, some of this care is not covered by insurance.

In October, JoAnn fell again. She and Jimmy then made the decision to visit the ER at Mayo Clinic. She was finally admitted as a patient. Within days, the team discovered tissue they wanted to biopsy and it was determined in November to be cancerous. JoAnn received a diagnosis and they began making plans for treatment. She just concluded her first round of chemotherapy and radiation on January 1st.

JoAnn will return in March to see if the treatment was successful in slowing the spread of the inoperable cancer tissue. So far they have been unable to detect the main source of the cancer, which is rare and virtually unheard of. They do know it is mimicking symptoms of pancreatic cancer. So far the pancreas is clear.

JoAnn and Jimmy are both very private, prideful, and hardworking. Always there for friends, family, and their community, they find themselves absorbing the costs of travel back and forth to Mayo, housing for Jimmy (and family) so they can be close while JoAnn undergoes treatment in Rochester. Jimmy has medical issues of his own. Their medical expenses are mounting.

JoAnn and Jimmy are both so appreciative of the love, friendship, prayers, and support they have experienced since JoAnn became ill. None of that has gone unnoticed. JoAnn has found strength in her faith.

We are planning two upcoming pool tournaments in March 15, 2025 at Casey’s 218 Pub and Lofty’s Lounge. Pool has been a passion for the couple for many years! If you aren’t able to join us at either of those events, we wanted another means to offer them support.

We are hoping to further ease their burden by putting together these fundraisers for them. Please help if you are in a position to do so.