A Community & Their Hero

$4,900 to help Hammons and his family his home. He’s that type of person — he’d 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. 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, by Steve Gamel Lake Cities Fire Department, families, and non-local fire department members C 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 helped coordinate and pull off a four-day remodeling effort to make Hammons’ house more accessible. The changes Lake Cities Firefighters Association Local 4231. included everything from fixing the The motorcycle and car wash benefit to keep the fleet running, and he’s even to making his bathroom ADA compliant, was held at American Eagle Harley volunteered during his days off at another changing out the bathtub, Davidson in Corinth and raised nearly fire department — and it’s not even near and more. transition from the road to the driveway offset medical costs and other needs from do anything for anyone. Adam Scott, president of the firefighters what ultimately was a two-month stay association, told in the hospital. Ross added, “When he got out of the “He’s that go-to the Denton RecordChronicle that he hopes Hammons returned home July 30 after seven surgeries, the last of which was an hospital, a big group of us were there to person who has the outpouring of support continues for above-the-knee amputation of his left leg. An MRI in June showed he had a torn calf welcome him.” always had a Troy and his family. muscle. That tear led to a severe infection that nearly cost him his life. Ross was putting that part mildly. Since servant’s heart.” “Working in the industry we’re in, we see the Hammons entered difficulties people go In his darkest hours, his friends and the the hospital, he has through with mobility, so we’re trying to community as a whole were there for him. been the focus of community-wide well make this as easy as possible for him when “I don’t know how to say it; he’s that go-to wishes, donations, fund-raising efforts, and he comes home,” Scott told the DRC. person who has always had a servant’s other forms of support that even managed “We’d like to see him back as soon as heart,” Lake Cities Fire Chief Michael Ross to overcome COVID-19 restrictions at possible, back home to spend time said. “He has done so much over the years his hospital. WFAA reported in July that with him.”