firefighters dropped off Whataburger to his room, and when Hammons looked out the window, he was surprised to find roughly 75 people outside. Two by two, Hammons’ friends were raised up to his fifth-floor window by way of a bucket truck from the Frisco Fire Department. They visited with him through the window. Firefighters from several different agencies were there to show their support. “It was overwhelming,” Hammons’ wife, Raychel, told WFAA. “He immediately started crying. He was overcome with emotion. Then, of course, I was, too.” Ross agreed.
A COMMUNITY & Their Hero
“It was hard because we really wanted to be there with him. But we couldn’t,” he said.
C
by Steve Gamel
apt. Troy Hammons still has a long road to recovery. But it’s clear now more than ever that he’s not alone. Hammons, a 23-year veteran of the Lake Cities Fire Department, was a surprise guest on August 15 at a fund-raising event by the Lake Cities Firefighters Association Local 4231. The motorcycle and car wash benefit was held at American Eagle Harley Davidson in Corinth and raised nearly $4,900 to help Hammons and his family offset medical costs and other needs from what ultimately was a two-month stay in the hospital.
to keep the fleet running, and he’s even
Hammons returned home July 30 after seven surgeries, the last of which was an above-the-knee amputation of his left leg. An MRI in June showed he had a torn calf muscle. That tear led to a severe infection that nearly cost him his life.
hospital, a big group
In his darkest hours, his friends and the community as a whole were there for him. “I don’t know how to say it; he’s that go-to person who has always had a servant’s heart,” Lake Cities Fire Chief Michael Ross said. “He has done so much over the years 24 | LAKE CITIES LIVING | SEPTEMBER 2020
volunteered during his days off at another fire department — and it’s not even near
his home. He’s that type of person — he’d do anything for anyone. Ross added, “When he got out of the
of us were there to welcome him.”
Ross was putting that part mildly. Since
Hammons entered
A GoFundMe account was opened in Hammons’ name and had raised nearly $30,000 as of the writing of this piece. The Lake Cities Firefighters Association, Lake Cities Fire Department, families, and non-local fire department members helped coordinate and pull off a four-day remodeling effort to make Hammons’ house more accessible. The changes included everything from fixing the transition from the road to the driveway to making his bathroom ADA compliant, changing out the bathtub, and more. Adam Scott, president of the firefighters association, told the Denton RecordChronicle that he hopes the outpouring of support continues for Troy and his family.
“He’s that go-to person who has always had a servant’s heart.”
the hospital, he has
been the focus of community-wide well
wishes, donations, fund-raising efforts, and
other forms of support that even managed to overcome COVID-19 restrictions at
his hospital. WFAA reported in July that
“Working in the industry we’re in, we see the difficulties people go through with mobility, so we’re trying to make this as easy as possible for him when he comes home,” Scott told the DRC. “We’d like to see him back as soon as possible, back home to spend time with him.”
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