The following is an excerpt from an article on myFoxChicago.com:

Firefighters risk their lives every day to protect others, but one Kankakee firefighter is now facing a heartbreaking battle for support during his own time of need. Derek Hogg, a 31-year-old firefighter who joined the department in 2008, has been battling ALS — also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — since 2012. Diagnosed with the progressive and incurable condition, he was told he had only three to five years to live. Despite the grim prognosis, Hogg returned to work, driven by his passion for the job and the need to support his growing family.

After a few years, the disease worsened, and Hogg was forced to transition to desk duty in 2013. However, that position came with a strict time limit, which would soon expire, putting him at risk of losing his job and any future benefits. In response, his fellow firefighters stepped up, offering to cover his shifts, donate vacation and sick days, and keep him on the payroll until June 1 — a key date that would allow him to qualify for a $3,200 monthly disability pension. This benefit would continue to support his wife, Holly, and their two young sons even after his passing.

Hogg described the plan as simple and fair: “The city wouldn’t lose a dime,” he said. “It was a huge relief.” But the plan hit a roadblock when Mayor Nina Epstein intervened. After the firefighters’ union approved the idea, Hogg met with the mayor, who agreed in principle — as long as legal approval was given. A month later, however, she changed her mind, claiming the city couldn’t make exceptions for his case.

Epstein told FOX 32, “I can’t look at this situation from an emotional standpoint. I have to think about the taxpayers and follow the law.” Her decision left Hogg without a job and without the financial security his family desperately needed.

Last week, Hogg, his wife, and supporters attended a City Council meeting to plead their case. Hogg asked the mayor to see the situation not as a political issue, but as a human one. “Will you let my brothers and sisters help me?” he asked. But Epstein refused to reconsider, stating she wouldn’t discuss it publicly or change her stance.

“It’s a bad situation,” Holly said. “They have the chance to help us, but they’re choosing not to.” The couple now faces an uncertain future, relying on the hope that someone will step in before it’s too late.

This isn’t the first time a firefighter with ALS has received such support. In Pittsburgh, other firefighters covered shifts for a colleague with the same illness. But in Kankakee, the mayor remains firm, saying, “I have 300 employees. Do you think this will be the last difficult situation?”

As the deadline approaches, the community watches closely, hoping for a change of heart from the city leaders who once celebrated these brave men and women.

Thanks, Dan

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