RIPLEY, Ohio (WKRC) – In the fight of his life, a local first responder is now accepting the help he gave his community for more than four decades. The roles are now reversed after a heartbreaking diagnosis.

Up and down the streets of Ripley, Mayor Nowana Bingaman believes the small town is filled with love.

“Everybody knows everybody,” Bingaman said. “Everybody is always willing to jump in and help each other out. It’s home.”

Now is one of those times people are jumping in to help. Her husband, Wayne Bingaman, is sick with pancreatic cancer.

“I feel pretty bad, really,” Wayne Bingaman said. “I’ve lost about 70 pounds since the first of the year. I’m weak.”

Bingaman and his wife are longtime first responders.

“Growing up, I’ve always believed in giving back to the community that I live in,” Nowana said. “That’s the way my mom and dad taught me.”

Wayne was a firefighter, EMT, and Brown County Sheriff's Deputy.

He spent more than 45 years helping others.

“I pretty much quit running fire and EMS about the first of June,” he said.

While Wayne’s career came to a halt, he can still watch his two kids serve others. Both are also first responders.

“Being there when somebody is having one of the worst days of their life,” Wayne said. “You help them.”

The people in Ripley and beyond now want to help Wayne.

The Bingaman’s are humbled to see their community pull together after a painful diagnosis.

“We are not used to being the ones to get to ask for the help,” the mayor said. “Now, the shoes on the other foot.”

“I know somebody at every firehouse in this county,” Wayne said. “Probably Adams County, too. They’ve all sent messages, texts, phone calls, stopped by.”

There is a benefit planned for July 22 at the Brown County Fairgrounds. It starts at 6 p.m.

The motto is “One team, one fight.”

“If you’re around this kind of stuff for very long, you're all together,” Nowana said.

They are raising money and spreading awareness for a growing number of firefighters diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

People can make donations to the family at Merchants National Bank.