Four years ago, firefighter Donovan Eckhardt, 37, of Gig Harbor, succumbed to cancer.
Though he lost the battle, Eckhardt,. a Renton firefigher, put together one last effort to ensure the war would be won. His firefighter friends and family raised a large amount of money to support Eckhardt through his illness, but the firefighter had other ideas.
“Before Donavan passed, he said ‘Guys I’m good,’ and asked to pass along the money to someone else who needed it,” said Karen Eckhardt, Donovan’s mother.
This small gesture expanded quickly, leading the Renton Fire Department to form a non-profit named Lionhardt. Their mission was to create awareness and finical support for all first responders battling critical illness.
Since 2015 Lionhardt has provided for almost ten first responders, referred to by the organization as “champions,” battling critical illness.