LEFOR, N.D. - There's not many things in life harder to deal with than a cancer diagnosis. Anyone who has gone through the process, or had family go through it, can attest to the trials and tribulations associated with the treatment and recovery process.
That process can be aided by the help and support of family and friends, offering hope where it may seem devoid.
Keith Herold, 65, of Lefor, was recently diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML is characterized by myeloid cells interfering with the production of normal white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in the bone marrow. There are fewer than 200,000 cases of AML annually in the United States and is treatable through chemotherapy, blood transplants, stem cell transplants and drug therapy, according to the Mayo Clinic.
"He is currently admitted to the Mayo's Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minn., receiving treatment. Due to his illness, he was unable to get his seeding done this year," Herold's daughter, Valerie Bakken, said. "His friends and local community members heard we needed help getting the wheat seeding done, and last Saturday (May 6) a wonderful thing occurred. Four tractors, drills and all showed up to plant our crop ... it was like our own Lefor Farm Rescue. The seeding was completed in one day."
Local Lefor farmers - Carson Kouba, Kyle Kouba, Jess Kouba, Richard Kouba, Curt and Michele Wax, Brian and Kim Herold, Fran and Cindy Martin, Greg and Marsha Krance, and Deran and Tina Lefor - used their time and resources to come together and offer their help so the Herolds could focus their time and energy on the treatment and recovery process.
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"Helping out and giving of ourselves to family, friends and even strangers is what life is all about," said Tina Lefor, a longtime friend of the Herold family. "Any of our own lives could be changed in a matter of seconds. All it takes is one person to make a difference, starting a chain reaction. To Keith and family, we hope and pray you have a speedy recovery soon. It was a heartfelt moment for all of us that day and an honor to see such camaraderie."
Lefor was there documenting the heartwarming display of neighborly love through her camera lens.
"All the people who helped us are just wonderful and I want to make sure they get credit," Bakken said. "Right now we're just taking things the way that we can within our family just helping out financially, but maybe at some point there may be a benefit planned."
The community is welcome to send flowers or their well wishes to the Herolds at the Mayo Hospital.
