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Greg Emick, a 25-year firefighter and past captain with the Williamstown Fire Company No. 1, was recently diagnosed with Rosai-Dorfman Disease (RDD), according to a GoFundMe campaign.
Emick was moved upon learning that a campaign had been established for him.
"When you've been in emergency services for over 25 years, sometimes you take for granted the impact you've had on people's lives," he tells Daily Voice.
"The roles have reversed where the provider has become the patient. As such, it has been an eye opening and humbling experience."
Not much is known or understood about this disease, said Andrew Disque, the campaign's sponsor. Greg will undergo chemotherapy treatment, he said.
Greg has served his community both in the capacity as a firefighter and through his service as an Emergency Medical Technician with the Monroe Township EMS and the Gloucester County EMS, Disque said.
"He is a loving father, a devoted husband, and a valued friend," Disque wrote.
RDD causes the body to over-produce white blood cells. This causes the cells to attack different systems of the body, the lymphatic system being the most prevalently attacked.
"It develops, acts, and is treated similar to cancer," Disque said.
Emick said he's overwhelmed by the support.
"Everyone from my work family at Gloucester County EMS, Gloucester County 911 Dispatch, Gloucester County Hazmat, and especially all of my brothers/sisters at Williamstown Fire Co #1 have been an incredible support base in this fight," he said.
"They're part of my extended family and I love them all."
Click here to view or donate to the GoFundMe.
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