For the past 11 years, Paramedic Chris Ballard has spent his career showing up for people on some of the worst days of their lives.

This week, Chris and his family found themselves facing one of their own.

Chris received a devastating diagnosis of widespread, advanced cancer involving his brain, lungs, and kidneys. The prognosis is serious, and the road ahead is uncertain. In a matter of days, life for Chris and his family has changed dramatically as they begin navigating treatment, medical appointments, difficult decisions, and everything that comes with a diagnosis of this magnitude.

What makes this even harder to process is that Chris has continued working through all of this. Until today, he was still coming to work, taking care of patients, and doing the job he has done for more than a decade.

This morning, he sent a message that simply said, “Can’t make it in today, or if I do I’ll be a little late.”

That says a lot about Chris. Even while facing something that would stop most of us in our tracks, part of his concern was still whether he could make it to work.

Those of us who know Chris know him as much more than a paramedic. He is a father, a friend, a coworker, and a dedicated public servant. At Bradley County EMS, Chris serves as a Field Training Officer, taking on the additional responsibility of teaching and mentoring other EMS professionals. For 11 years, he has answered calls throughout our community and cared for countless patients and families when they needed someone most.

But his most important responsibility isn’t at work. It’s at home.

Chris is a single father raising his children, including a child with special needs who requires around-the-clock care. That responsibility doesn’t stop because Chris is sick. And now, while facing an incredibly serious illness himself, he also carries the concern every parent would have: making sure his children continue to have the care, stability, and support they need regardless of what the coming weeks and months bring.

That’s why we’re asking for help.

A diagnosis this serious doesn’t only create a medical crisis. It can quickly create a financial one. There will be time away from work, treatment and travel expenses, household bills, caregiving needs, and countless other costs that are impossible to fully anticipate today. With such a serious prognosis, we want Chris spending his time and energy on his health and his children, not worrying about how he is going to keep everything together financially.

For 11 years, when the tones dropped, Chris went.

He showed up for strangers. He cared for people who were scared, sick, injured, and experiencing some of the hardest moments of their lives. He has dedicated a significant part of his life to taking care of this community.

Now the call is for him.

We are raising funds to give Chris and his children some financial stability and breathing room as they navigate what comes next. Every contribution, regardless of the amount, will help relieve some of that burden and allow Chris to focus on what matters most: his health and his family.

If you’re able to give, please consider helping. If you aren’t in a position to contribute financially, sharing this fundraiser is another meaningful way to support Chris and his children.

There are moments when a community gets the opportunity to take care of someone who has spent years taking care of the community.

This is one of those moments.

Please help us take care of one of our own.