Local Firefighter Begins His Biggest Fight

Alabama Mobile Friends are trying to help him make his dream come true.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Fri, January 16, 2009 - 8:55 pm CST Last Updated: Fri, January 16, 2009 - 9:48 pm CST

Volunteer firefighters in Fairhope are coming together to help one of their own.
Tim Lennicx learned just a few weeks ago that's he's fighting a serious disease.
But he has a special wish, and its not for himself.
Tim's brother, Joe Lennicx said, "Tim is one of those people that everyone knows."
Tim Lennicx is a volunteer firefighter in Fairhope with three children, aged, 16, 7 and 5.
On New Years Eve, Tim didn't feel well.
Joe Lennicx said his brother "had kind of gotten dizzy and fallen into a hole and, next thing you know, he said, 'I better get going to the emergency room at Thomas Hospital.' "
Tim underwent tests.
Joe said, "The biopsy came back. It was Glioma, category 4."
That's brain cancer.
Tim's friends reached out to help him, but Tim had one wish.
He wanted to take his children to Disney World.
Joe said, "He would love to go with them after all the chemo and the radiation is done."
So, volunteer firefighters in Fairhope have started taking donations to make that dream come true.
Firefighter Kevin Hempfleng has known Tim since he was a child.
Hempfleng said, "He's like an uncle to me. (He's) always been a real good friend, one of the greatest guys you could ever meet."
Hempfleng is one of the firefighters trying to help Tim.
He said, "Whether it be something or good or bad, we always got each others back. Whether it be in personal life or going into a fire, we're going to have each others back no matter what."
And Joe Lennicx says his brother is very positive as he begins his fight against cancer.
He said Tim "knows when you say category 4 that its one of the fastest growing ones, but he's said he's going to be the one to break it, and stop it."
Firefighters have opened an account for donations at Community Bank in Daphne.
The money will be used for the trip to Disney World and to pay medical expenses.
Checks can be made payable to Fire Chief John Saraceno.
Donors should write "Tim Lennicx Relief Fund" in the memo portion of the check.

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mustuknow Says:

Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 12:06 am

Just a suggestion but as a volunteer firefighter myself I would think that this should go state wide and even nationally. Volunteer firefighters stick together and I personally think that if the need was made worldwide the more firefighters would pich in. JMO