Please Help Our Fellow Brothers
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Fellow Fire Officers and Firefighters, I am writing this letter on behalf of our Firefighter William Townsend “ Billy “.
Billy was on my crew “B” Shift and March of 06 he was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia and has been receiving
treatments in Bangor Maine at Eastern Maine Medical Center. During this past summer his disease was being
treated by receiving Chemotherapy and antibiotics and the side effects caused him to step down from the active
roster here at the firehouse. Recently the disease progressed into his spinal fluid and he has just started
radiation treatment 5 days a week in Bangor Maine which is 100 miles one way from his home here in Calais
Maine. Billy is also in the process of preparing for a bone marrow transplant if needed by going to Boston Mass
which is about 350 miles from home one way.
Bill's History:
Bill is 26 years old and is married to his wife Alicia 24 years old who herself is a firefighter and live in Calais. They
have two children, Tory 8 years old and Charlie 5 years old. He began his career as a Fire Explorer in 1997. Four
years later at eighteen he joined the department migrating him from Explorer to Firefighter and assigned the #13.
He later took a job as a Full time Engineer at Lincoln Fire Department and was employed there for several years.
Bill decided to come back to Calais and once again he and his wife became members of the fire department
The fire department and community has rallied around his family by having many fundraisers and benefits to
raise money for the family and with our small population around 4000 residents and geographic location we have
just about exhausted what resources we have been able to draw from in this area. This brings up the reason for
me writing this letter and contacting our other brother and sister firefighters out there. The family has used most
of the proceeds they have been given for the essentials of given Billy the quality of life he now needs. Their has
been a great effort taken to make sure funds where used where they where needed most and now they are close
to being exhausted. His wife has used up most of her vacation time and benefits at work to spend time with Billy
and has had to make the difficult decisions of letting others take Billy to his treatments because she has so little
time off left. Now with the new developments she is unsure how much longer she may have a job.
What I am asking for is for any donation anyone may offer so we can get this family through such a tragic time in
their lives. We are almost through our winter with just a couple months to go so the heating bills should come
down. One of the most recent additional expenses has been the traveling they are doing and time off his wife is
taken from work.
If your members are able to help us in any way please contact me by E-Mail glennconnolly@verizon.net and I will
forward the information as to the bank account we have set up for donations received for Billy and his family. I
would also appreciate any other contact information you may have for departments I can contact in your area.
Sincerely
Lieutenant Glenn Connolly
Calais Fire Department
Please help the members of Engine 16 & Ladder 7 support one of our fellow brothers from the
Calais Maine Fire Department just as they have supported us every year since September 11,
2001. Below is a story of a young fireman and his family who have been struggling with cancer.
Please read his story and make a generous donation if possible so we can help this family get
through this tragic time. Thank you for your support. God Bless him and his family and God Bless
each and every one of you.
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