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Greenwich Police Detective Mike Rooney underwent the delicate procedure at Yale New Haven Hospital earlier this month, but, during the operation, he suffered a "tremendous amount of swelling" and fell into a coma, said Peter Schmitt, president of the Greenwich Police Silver Shield Association.
Schmitt called it the "battle of (Rooney's) life. It's a fight that the Marine veteran is beginning to win.
In his most recent update in the GoFundMe for Rooney, Schmitt said the 21-year police veteran had opened his eyes and could follow simple commands. However, Rooney's health is still in a "delicate" balance as he remained on a ventilator.
Your thoughts, prayers, and generous donations are overwhelming and graciously appreciated and most definitely got Mike over the hump on his first step to recovery. Keep them coming!!Friends, family, co-workers, brother and sister officers / firefighters/ EMS, and complete strangers from far and wide have come together to provide a substantial cushion for the Rooney family, as Mike will have a long road to recovery and will miss a significant amount of time from work.
Rooney has a wife and two children, and Schmitt hopes to raise enough so they can focus on his health.
The money raised is a kindness that the Greenwich community is repaying Rooney, who works as a detective in the Special Victims Section, which handles some of the most sensitive and horrific cases. He's also been assigned to an FBI task force that went after online sexual predators targeting children, Schmitt wrote.
Click here for more information on the GoFundMe campaign.
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