By Ann S. Kim
Portland Press Herald (Maine)
Copyright 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
When George Carman learned he would need $300,000 for a double lung transplant, his family, friends and fellow firefighters were ready to tackle the challenge with him.
At age 40, Carman has already surpassed by four years the median age life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis. The people around Carman want to help him realize his dreams of entering the smoky buildings on a firefighting call, walking his daughter, Annie, down the aisle on her wedding day, and growing old with his wife, Amy.
Carman’s supporters - whom he fondly calls “George’s Fan Club” - formed a committee and went to work raising money to cover the costs associated with the operation that won’t be covered by the health insurance Amy has from her job in a court clerk’s office. For the past two years, they have organized dances, comedy nights and other benefits under an effort dubbed “New Lungs for George.” They’ve sold thousands of “Lungs for George” bracelets, held raffles, run informational tables and otherwise spread the word about Carman’s situation.
“It’s really been overwhelming,” Carman said.
His support network includes not only family and friends in the Gray/New Gloucester area but people who are connected in other ways. Carman’s in-laws have been key in the Millinocket area, where Amy grew up, and colleagues in firefighting play a role, regardless of their location.
So far, the effort for Carman has raised about $145,000. For the coming year, the group plans to keep up with the fundraising events and try to ask all the fire departments in the United States for a small donation.
It’s a lot of time and effort, but people are happy to help because Carman is a special person in the community whose accomplishments inspire others, said Scott Doyle, the committee chairman and a fellow volunteer firefighter in New Gloucester.
“Thinking about George just makes you want to beat any type of challenge you’ve got coming,” Doyle said. “Giving everything, every day, just giving as much as you possibly can.”
Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth, Carman has been beating the odds since being given only four days to live. The genetic disease causes a thick mucous to clog the lungs and decreases lung capacity over time. The lung transplant is expected to extend the recipient’s life by 10 to 15 years.
The condition makes Carman susceptible to infections that can put him in the hospital for weeks at a time. It’s also the reason that Carman operates the pump truck on fire calls rather than entering the building to fight fires.
But despite this, Carman has been a dedicated firefighter ever since joining the Yarmouth Fire Department in 1990. He joined the New Gloucester department when he and Amy moved to New Gloucester in 1994.
The folks at Carman’s workplace -æMorrison & Sylvester, the International Truck parts and service shop in Auburn - jumped into the fundraising effort when they heard their big-hearted, hard-working friend was in need, said Becky Stevens, Carman’s supervisor.
“He’s a good person and he needs help,” said Stevens, the secretary of the committee. “He’d do anything for anybody.”
Sheila Morrison, the office manager and another member of the committee, is among those who are modest about their contribution. She simply wanted to help a friend and has managed to meet good people along the way, she said.
“I get as much out of it as I give. It’s kind of selfish,” she said.
Glen Gisel of Gray, an acquaintance of Carman’s, had started his catering business, Party Time USA, around the time he learned about the fundraising effort. The business has donated services and raffled lobster bakes to raise funds. Gisel also brings fliers about Carman to events and has a picture of him on the party trailer in hopes of directing people to his Web site.
Gisel isn’t surprised that people have rallied around Carman, but is impressed with how generous the community has been.
The bulk of the money was raised in the Gray/New Gloucester area. People have also helped in other ways besides writing a check.
Doyle’s employer, Shipyard Brewing Co., donated the design work and poster printing for the group’s events. Spring Meadows Golf Club in Gray hosted events for free.
Other organizations send in money from their own events, such as a gathering to make scrapbooks or a bottle drive. And people have stopped by to donate items that could be raffled, such as an afghan, a Christmas basket or a carved loon.
In the tiny northern Maine town of Stacyville, the Fire Department held a spaghetti dinner for Carman. The department didn’t have any connection to Carman other than being fellow firefighters, but had somehow heard about his cause, Doyle said.
“You’ve got a lot of different hands in it,” Doyle said. “It’s beyond us. It’s fantastic.”
The firefighter connection will also help in New York City, where Carman will have his transplant operation. On trips to see his transplant team, Carman has visited firehouses in the area. One has offered the family free parking during his hospital stays, and another has offered to let him ride on the truck when he’s in need of company.
Carman, meanwhile, is thinking about how to keep the committee’s good work going even after his transplant. He hopes the group can help other Mainers with cystic fibrosis as a nonprofit organization that could be renamed “New Lungs for ME.”