My name is Wade Kerfoot and I am 35 years old.  I live near Plymouth with my wife Becky and three kids, Connor (6), Kinley (4) and Kallie (1).  I am an avid outdoorsman and enjoy hunting, fishing, camping and tending our garden with my kids.

My medical history began in the summer of 2008.  At age 19 I was diagnosed with a rare genetic liver disease called Wilson's Disease.  Unfortunately by the time I was diagnosed the damage to my liver resulted in the need for me to receive a transplant.  I will require aftercare for the rest of my life.  In April of this year we found out my body was rejecting my transplanted liver.  This requires me to get treatments from Mayo clinic and will require ongoing treatments going forward while we deal with rejection.  We are forever grateful to our friends, family and those that have reached out with support.

Thank you.

Nikki Russo-Miller and her family have been lifelong residents of Plymouth/Elkhart Lake community. Nikki has been an active participant in the Gift Of Life since 1997 playing with her family team or special interest teams, Gift Of Life weekend is one her favorite weekends of the summer! Nikki is the mother of three children; Adam, Andru and Ava. She has worked for Kohler Company for 26 years.

In October of 2023, Nikki was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma (breast cancer). She completed 16 rounds of chemotherapy treatment from December 2023-May 2024. In June of 2024 Nikki underwent 2 surgeries and is currently fighting a bacterial infection called Mycobacterium Fortuitum for the next 6 months. On August 5th Nikki will start her 25 radiation treatments at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. This leaves her with one more surgery in December 2024 and January/February 2025. Her spirit is contagious and while she has a long road ahead, she continues to remain positive and always looking for ways to help others.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Chris. The Gift of Life will remain committed to supporting his family as one of this year's recipients.

Jen John Baptiste and her family have been lifelong residents of Sheboygan County. Jen was born and raised in Howards Grove and has lived in Plymouth for over a decade. She is the mother of two boys; Izzy (14) and Gabe (10). Jen has worked as a hair stylist for the past 25 years and is employed by Salon 511 in Sheboygan Falls. Jen and her boys stay active paddle boarding and kayaking, and enjoy taking weekend trips together.

On June 14, 2024, Jen was featured in an article published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the following was shared about her journey: In her early 20s, Jen was diagnosed with Lynch syndrome, a hereditary condition that increases a person's risk of developing cancer early in life. She knew it was not a question of if she'd get cancer, but when. In June 2021, a cancerous tumor was found in her adrenal cortex. She had surgery to remove her adrenal gland, spleen and a portion of her pancreas. She was started on chemotherapy. She remained cancer-free for just shy of a year, until cancer was found in her liver. At this point, generation sequencing — a molecular-level tool that identifies what kinds of mutations are present in a tumor — was performed on both cancer samples. Doctors determined that there was something unique about the biology of her cancer and thought it might be sensitive to immunotherapy. Immunotherapies are a class of anti-cancer therapies that suppress the cancer cells that prevent the body's immune system from doing its job, which is to fight disease and infections. Roughly 50% of patients with adrenal cancer like Jen die within nine to 12 months. "I think the fact she is more than two years out from that initial diagnosis is great, and I believe our treatment approach will give her more years of life," Chen said. "She is definitely one of our success stories." Her cancer treatment side effects have included blood clots in her lungs, iron infusions, ulcers, rashes, steroids and pneumonia, to name a few. Yet the years added to her life with end-stage cancer have "brought me hope." She said her cancer now feels like "something I can live with." "I've gone through the stages of grief. I've mourned the loss of the life I had," John Baptiste said. "I am more present now. When I have my good days, I am grateful."

My name is James Leonard and I decided to make my home in Plymouth about 11 years ago, a decision I'm very happy with. Many of you know me through my work as a  hardware salesman and manager at our local home improvement stores and through St. John Lutheran. I enjoyed wrenching on cars and motorcycles, running, and other hobbies to keep out of trouble. My recent medical issues started last year with a radical orchiectomy and inguinal hernia repair. I was doing ok after the surgeries until last November when I suffered a hemorrhagic basal ganglia stroke which has left me with profound whole body tremors which are, so far, not responding to treatment, leaving me unable to work. During the diagnostics for the stroke, MRIs showed that I also have an aortic aneurysm which will require surgery. Disability benefits are still "in the process". I'm inexpressibly grateful that I've been chosen to be a beneficiary by Gift Of Life, making it possible to continue meds and treatments and make plans for a "reimagined" future. Thank you to Gift Of Life and the town of Plymouth, without the friends I've made out here I couldn't make it