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The Seymour Fire Department in New Haven County will be holding a boot drive on Saturday, Dec. 30 between 8 a.m. and noon to help raise money for the family of Mike Russell, a 16-year-member whose second child Mikey Russell was born three months premature with a tumor on his heart, the department announced.
According to the department, Russell and his wife, Jessica, had been expecting their second child in February 2024. However, during a regular check-up, doctors discovered that the baby had a tumor in his right lung and made an immediate plan to monitor the infant at a specialized hospital in Philadelphia.
During a visit there in early December, doctors then made the grave discovery that the mass had shifted to the baby's heart. Soon after this, before doctors could come up with a plan, Jessica went into labor and Mikey was born at only 27 weeks and weighing only 3 pounds and 1 ounce, the department said.
Despite these early obstacles, Mikey proved surgeons wrong when he survived surgery to remove the mass even though the family had received warnings that he would not live through the procedure. According to the department, Mikey is now gaining strength "little by little each day."
However, Mikey and his family still face tough challenges, as Mike needs to be home during the week to work and take care of the couple's two-year-old daughter, while Jessica needs to be in Philadelphia full-time as Mikey recovers from surgery. Because the couple's hospital bills are increasing, the department decided they would make an effort to help the family with the costs.
"As a general rule, the Seymour Fire Department does not do 'boot drives' as a regular fundraiser. Standing in the middle of the road is always dangerous and the process usually slows traffic which upsets drivers trying to reach their destinations," the department wrote on social media, adding, "We do, however, hold boot drives when one of our Brothers or Sisters is in dire need of help. Unfortunately, that exact situation has befallen one of our own."
On Saturday morning, the boot drive will be held on Route 67 in Seymour by the Bank Street bridge and the Route 8 overpass; on the Broad Street Bridge; at the Tri-Town Plaza; and the intersection of Derby Avenue and Bungay Road, the department said.
During the event, members from all of the town's emergency services will be on the road with boots in hand accepting donations. Those who cannot make it in person can also Venmo @C2treasury with the note “Russell Family."
"This year the Seymour Fire Department has responded to nearly 600 calls for help. The alarm sounds and we run to the emergency. Now it is our emergency and we are sounding the alarm for help--won't you please respond for us?" the department wrote on social media, continuing, "We would be forever grateful; so will the Russells."
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