Help a Former Deputy Fight Cancer After Surviving the Impossible

In 2006, my dad was hit by a drunk driver. Doctors told our family he had only a 4% chance of surviving. Most people would not have made it through the night — but my dad did. He fought through devastating injuries, multiple surgeries, and a life that would never be the same again. Now, almost twenty years later, the man who already beat the odds once is facing the fight of his life again — cancer.

My name is Amanda, and I’m writing this on behalf of my dad, Alan.

My dad proudly served our community as an Ottawa County Deputy, dedicating his career to protecting others and showing up for people on their worst days. He was the kind of officer who cared deeply about the community he served and the people around him.

In 2006, everything changed when he was hit by a drunk driver. The crash was catastrophic. Doctors told us he had only a 4% chance to live. Against all odds, he survived.

But survival came with a price.

The accident left him with severe lifelong injuries that forced him into medical retirement from law enforcement. He also lost much of his vision and is now legally blind because of the trauma he suffered that day. Since then, my parents have done their best to live on a very limited fixed income, adapting to a completely different life than the one they once knew.

Through all of it, my dad has never stopped being a fighter.

Now he is facing another unimaginable battle.

He has recently been diagnosed with invasive high-grade urothelial carcinoma (kidney cancer). Over the past several weeks he has been hospitalized multiple times due to complications including Influenza B, infection concerns, blood clots, and severe weight loss. He has lost over 40 pounds, and doctors now need to place a PEG feeding tube to help his body receive the nutrition it desperately needs.

Despite everything, his determination to fight has not changed. The goal is to help him regain enough strength so he can begin chemotherapy and continue battling this cancer head on.

Unfortunately, the financial burden that comes with serious illness is overwhelming — especially for someone who has already been living on a fixed income due to disability.

We are asking for help so my dad can focus on fighting for his life instead of worrying about how the bills will be paid.

Funds raised will help cover:

• Medical bills and hospital expenses

• Feeding tube supplies and nutritional support

• Transportation to treatments and appointments

• Prescription medications

• Basic living expenses during this difficult time

My dad spent his life serving and protecting others. He survived a tragedy that should have taken his life. Now he is once again facing something that no family ever expects.

If you are able to donate, share this page, or keep him in your thoughts and prayers, it would mean more to our family than words can express.

Thank you for helping us stand behind a man who has spent his entire life standing up for others.

— His daughter