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Amy (Ball) Mckinley is native to northern Michigan. Though she lived in Grand Rapids for a short time after graduating from Cheboygan Area High School, she was eventually drawn back to the beauty and wonder of Northern Michigan. She has made her home in Cheboygan and later, Carp Lake for over ten years where she raised her daughter and ran an organic farm, Peaceful Produce. Her farm was an integral part of the community. She sold her produce at farmers markets in Bliss and Pellston, hosted classes, held community dinners, sweat lodges, musical performances, and women’s retreats. She even hosted hikers and campers on the property, building an outdoor solar shower and outhouse to accommodate them. Bends and bumps in the road led to changes that Amy has taken in stride. When Peaceful Produce wasn’t enough, she started working for Ziibimijwang Farm, an Anishinaabek organization that grows community knowledge on farming and gardening practices, and provides a reliable sustainable food source for the Native and larger community. Later she became the Vineyard Manager at the Mackinaw Trail Winery & Brewery. Just this August she got married to Dan McKinley, surrounded by friends and family in a beautiful ceremony on the Cheboygan River.
In August of 2020 Amy noticed that she was having trouble breathing. Her doctor thought it might be asthma or the beginning stages of COPD. Despite the use of an inhaler, the problem became more frequent. After a particularly difficult time catching her breath at work one day in November, she went back to her doctor and insisted on more tests. Just before Thanksgiving Amy learned that she has a large tumor in her neck - 4.6cm x 3.8 cm and growing fast. On December 17th at the medical center of the University of Michigan, Amy had her first surgery which included biopsies of the tumor tissue, an insertion of a tracheostomy tube, and a feeding tube. She was in the hospital until just a couple of days before Christmas.
Amy has stage 4 cancer - Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma. It’s very rare and very aggressive. On Monday, January 4th she goes back down to U of M for more appointments and tests. The following Thursday, January 7th Amy will have surgery to remove her thyroid, the lymph nodes in her neck, and her larynx. If everything goes right, she’ll spend the next seven to ten days in the hospital recovering, and four to six weeks relearning how to swallow, and learning how to speak without her vocal cords. After the surgery she’ll begin radiation.
All of Amy’s tests, surgeries, radiation and therapy will take place at U of M. She has a team of world class doctors, and leading pathologists. She has the support of her amazing husband Dan, her loving family, and friends, and her church, River of Life. What she really needs now is financial support. Because of the timing of this disease, she will have to pay her medical insurance deductible twice (once for 2020 and again for 2021). In the best case scenario she’s looking at at least five months of lost income, plus travel expenses for the many trips to Ann Arbor.
Maybe you know Amy, and maybe you don’t, but I do. She’s the kind of friend who goes out of her way to help others, and she is a friend to all. She works hard. She’s empathetic. She cares about animals and the environment, our community, our neighbors. I’ve seen her strive to instill those values not only into her daughter, but to Dan’s children and the next generation. Spending time with Amy on her farm gave me a better appreciation for nature and hard work. She was instrumental in getting me through my own tough times, and I know I’m not the only person who can say that. Amy has lost her voice. She is currently communicating only via text message and with a small whiteboard and dry erase markers. When she clears her tracheostomy tube (regularly) we (lovingly) refer to the sound as her “broken kazoo”. We can help Amy focus on healing. We all know that 2020 has been a tough year for everyone. With the pandemic, and the restrictions, many of us are just plain burnt out, and numb. Donating to this cause is a way that you can help someone else see some light at the end of the tunnel. If you have the means to give, even just a little bit, please do, and if that’s just not a possibility right now, please share this fundraiser on your social media pages.
Updates and progress will be posted soon. We welcome you to share your stories and love for Amy in the comments section. If you would rather send a card or something, address 7209 N. Straits Hwy. Cheboygan, MI. 49721 From the bottom of our hearts, Thank you.
Sincerely,
Alicia Lemorie