Community Unites Behind Family to Raise Awareness for Rare Disorder

Fortville community has rallied behind a local family and their daughter, Kamden, “Kammy”, who lives with a rare genetic disorder called 4P Minus, also known as Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.

Kammy's Kause, a two-day music festival, was started 21 years ago by her father, Jared Hiner. "It was created in an effort to raise money, awareness and funding for a very rare chromosome disorder called 4P Minus," Hiner said.

4P Minus causes a wide range of developmental delays, affecting each person differently. Kamden is 23 years old, about four and a half feet tall, and weighs around 60 pounds.

The festival provides support not just for the family but also for other families who attend. "It really provides that support — not just for us but for them — to know that they're not just the only ones going through this," one parent said.

"They're able to be with other people and other children," said Sylvia Renfro, a parent and board member of the 4P Minus support group. She travels hundreds of miles to attend the event along with another family from Texas.

Local businesses also support the festival, feeling its impact on their community. "It's just been incredible to see all the new faces and new people that support Kammy's now support the restaurants and businesses and stuff in town," said Jake Burgess, owner of Burgess Restaurant Group.

The event has grown from a small grassroots effort to a large annual gathering. "It's surreal, to be honest," Hiner said. "When we started back at the old park, there were maybe 50 people that showed up. Now that's grown to thousands."

Kammy's Kause is about more than just raising money. "Kammy's Kause was a way for us to say thank you back to that support group — and to raise money so that we could fund the 4P Support Group so they can continue to raise awareness, fund research projects," he said.

In 2004, the non-profit raised $1,000. In 2024, it brought in $126,000 for the year. But the greatest return is the emotional growth the experience fosters in his own children and others in the community.

"They grow up with something most kids don't get an opportunity to grow up with — just a huge chunk of empathy, and of wanting to do better and be better," Hiner said.

This year's festival included live music, food trucks, a kids' zone, a silent auction, a motorcycle ride, and more. Proceeds raised from Kammy's Kause go to support the 4P Minus Support Group, which offers resources, advocacy, and education for families navigating the disorder.