Help Kala Trunkhill Fight Her Brain Tumor
Recently, our dear friend Kala Trunkhill was diagnosed with an Acoustic Schwannoma brain tumor. After dealing with increasingly painful and prolonged migraines, inner ear pain, and dizzy spells for over two years, an MRI finally revealed the cause.
The good news: this type of tumor is typically non-cancerous and has a 90%+ survival rate, with patients often going on to live long, healthy lives. The most common side effect is partial or total hearing loss in one ear — a difficult but manageable outcome. Some benefits of removing the tumor completely are avoiding facial paralysis and the possibility of full or partial hearing retention.
Unfortunately, the financial burden of surgery and post-treatment care is overwhelming. Tumor removal surgery costs alone can be in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even after insurance, the estimated out-of-pocket cost is quite substantial to the family.
Who is Kala?
If you don’t know Kala, let us introduce you to the incredible woman she is.
Kala is a 3rd-grade teacher in the Dunkerton School District, where she pours her heart into helping her students grow and succeed. She recently earned her Master of Education and multiple endorsements from Upper Iowa University — a testament to her love of learning and dedication to her students.
Outside the classroom, she’s a coach and leader in the Denver Archery Club, serving alongside her husband, Tyson, as a head coach of NASP Archery and secretary of the Denver Archery Club, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. With an accompanying team of coaches, they mentor roughly 100 student archers from grades 4–12 each season.
Kala is also a passionate advocate for women and girls in archery and the outdoors, mentoring and encouraging others to step up, shoot strong, and find their confidence — often competing shoulder-to-shoulder with the men in this traditionally male-dominated sport.
As if Kala wasn’t busy enough, you can often find her volunteering her time and energy with a wide variety of veteran and other community-based organizations.
The Trunkhill Family
Kala is the heart of her family — mom and stepmom to three amazing girls:
• Avery, a senior, standout cross-country runner, and newly committed athlete to Central College in Pella, Iowa.
• Teagan, a freshman, who is a talented runner and competitive swimmer with a love of all types of animals.
• Dusti, a spirited 7th grader who keeps everyone on their toes with her energy, athletics, and big personality. She runs cross country and does competitive swimming.
Her husband, Tyson, an Army Combat Veteran medically retired after 21 years of service, continues to serve his community through The Dust-Off Project, a non-profit that provides archery equipment to service members and first responders dealing with PTSD and stress.
The Trunkhills are a family of givers — constantly volunteering, coaching, and supporting others. But now, they’re the ones who need our help.
How You Can Help
The road ahead includes surgery, recovery, and ongoing care. The family faces travel, medical bills, and lost work time — all while trying to keep life as normal as possible for their daughters.
If you can give — no matter the amount — your support will directly help cover medical costs, travel expenses, and daily living needs during Kala’s treatment and recovery.
Every dollar, prayer, and share makes a difference.
Thank you for helping us support Kala and her family as they navigate this journey.
Let’s help Kala get back to doing what she loves most — teaching, coaching, and inspiring others.