Community Mobilizes to Support Taylor Hunsaker After Ocular Melanoma Discovery
Taylor Hunsaker, a firefighter and emergency medical services employee with more than three decades of service in the Magic Valley, faces an unexpected battle after being diagnosed with ocular melanoma—a rare form of cancer affecting the eye. The discovery has prompted an outpouring of community support, with the Rock Creek Rural Fire Station organizing a major fundraiser to help cover his mounting medical costs.
Hunsaker learned of his diagnosis on June 30 after traveling to a Pocatello eye specialist following the initial detection of a tumor in his right eye. His first surgery is scheduled for July 31. The diagnosis comes as a financial burden: a PET scan alone cost him $16,000, and the condition is not covered under Idaho’s workers’ compensation program for firefighters.
Ocular melanoma remains relatively rare, with roughly 5,200 cases recorded nationally in 2026, according to the American Cancer Society. While Idaho passed a firefighter presumptive cancer law in 2015 that covers workers’ compensation claims for 11 types of cancer linked to firefighting exposure, eye cancer was not included in that protection.
Pancake Breakfast and Community Donations Drive Support
The Rock Creek Firefighters Local 1151 announced plans for a pancake breakfast fundraiser, with the post gaining significant traction on social media—shared 180 times within the first 24 hours. Fire Captain Stacey Thomas stepped forward to lead the effort after station operator Chris Johnson assigned him the task.
The response from the community has been substantial. The City of Kimberly, where Hunsaker is regarded as a hometown hero, provided coffee, cutlery, and pancake-making materials to accommodate 500 people. Donors have contributed over 25 raffle baskets, three firearms, and a Blackstone grill to support the cause.
Johnson reflected on Hunsaker’s character, noting that the veteran firefighter would not have sought assistance on his own. “Taylor would have never asked for a handout. He asked for thoughts and prayers,” Johnson said.
Hunsaker’s career spans more than 30 years as a firefighter and more than 25 years as a dispatcher, making him a fixture in the region’s emergency services infrastructure.
Additional Fundraising Efforts Underway
Beyond the pancake breakfast, additional fundraising initiatives have emerged. Kyndal Baker, a mobile ICU nurse with Velaris Med Spa, has organized a separate fundraiser in which a portion of every intravenous therapy service sold during July will be donated to Hunsaker’s medical fund.
Community members Aubrey Booth and Melanie Lunney are also contributing by coordinating donation bowls and raffle baskets at the Kimberly Good Neighbors Days event, extending the reach of support efforts into broader community gatherings.
What Comes Next
With surgery scheduled for the end of the month, Hunsaker faces a critical period of treatment and recovery. The community’s rallying around him reflects the bonds built within rural fire and EMS services, where colleagues and neighbors recognize the sacrifices made by those in emergency response roles. The pancake breakfast and associated fundraisers will help offset the substantial out-of-pocket costs Hunsaker now faces as he undergoes treatment for his rare diagnosis.
For those interested in supporting Hunsaker, the pancake breakfast remains the primary opportunity for direct community participation, while Baker’s July fundraiser through Velaris Med Spa offers an ongoing way to contribute.