Jonathan Hammond, a graduate of Illinois Valley Community College, is battling chronic kidney failure and is now advocating for access to a life-saving drug, Imlifidase. Despite health setbacks that delayed his graduation, the college community, led by President Dr. Tracy Morris, has shown tremendous support. Dr. Morris facilitated a special graduation ceremony for Hammond, symbolizing hope and encouragement. Currently, Hammond is spearheading a petition to urge the FDA to approve Imlifidase, essential for his transplant eligibility.
His poor health shattered his plans to graduate with his Illinois Valley Community College class in Spring 2024. But withdrawing from the ceremony minutes before it started, he felt like he broke a promise to IVCC President Dr. Tracy Morris. “I did not want you to think I didn’t fulfill my end of the bargain,” he would apologize in an email to her later.
Hammond met Morris at her investiture, and after the ceremony, she invited him into one of her famous selfies. “Let’s take one now and another on Graduation Day,” she promised. He remembers the impact her speech and personality had on him that day. “I felt so much hope and inspiration.”