Stand with Hammes Fam

Hi all!

Quick intro- my name is Mallory Jochen and I’m a friend of the Hammes family. I met Kevin and his family when my son joined Cub Scouts. Kevin was the den leader devoting his time selflessly mentoring the kids. Our sons have grown up together over the past few years, and we’ve relied on each other's friendships to get us through life's many ups and downs.

Tough times always come when we least expect it, and this is one I’m going to need your help with!

March of 2024, Kevin began having pain in his lower back and legs. X-rays were ordered and they learned he had a bulging disc and a collapsed disc above and below a prior surgery he had twenty years ago. He will need spinal surgery to find relief and be able to walk normal again. Unfortunately, that surgery is postponed because they also saw a very large tumor on his right kidney and possibly on a few lymph nodes. After several appointments and a biopsy, it was confirmed to be renal cell carcinoma / stage unknown at this time. Unlike many other cancers, kidney cancer does not respond to chemotherapy or radiation.

Costly Immunotherapy and Target Therapy treatments have begun. In the next few months, he will have multiple surgeries that will have him out of work and as the sole provider, will put a tremendous financial strain on the family.

During this time, Adena’s father was also diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma on the glottis (vocal cords). At the end of April, he moved into the Hammes household, so Adena is able to take him to his chemo/ radiation treatments and care for him.

Amongst these series of events, raising three kids (Aiden in college, Emily in high school, and Carter in middle school) and a household's worth of bills that still need to be paid along with medical bills, and everything else on the rise, I ask from the bottom of my heart that you consider donating to support this special family in their tough times.

All donations will go directly to the Hammes family’s bills and household needs. If you would like to send a gift card, Venmo, or CashApp, please contact me directly.

Thank y’all for taking the time to read this. We appreciate every bit of love, prayers, and support for the Hammes family during this time!

Link to meal train- https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/k3m14r/