By FireRescue1 Staff
RALEIGH COUNTY, W.Va. — A fire chief is facing thousands of dollars in medical bills after suffering a slew of health problems.
Sophia City Fire Chief Jeff Pittman’s diabetes caused his liver to fail July 2016; he has been on the liver transplant list since. He lost a toe on his right foot due to gangrene and also suffered from sepsis, which caused him to spend five weeks in the ICU, reported the Register Herald. Chief Pittman also said he has undergone numerous blood transfusions and hopes to be placed on the liver transplant list once his other ailments clear.
Pittman, a paramedic and chief of Raleigh County Crisis Team, has been unable to work.
“Jeff recently finished his long-term care at St. Francis Medical Center in Charleston, and is now waiting for a liver transplant,” Raleigh County Crisis Team Chaplain Craig Dorsey said. “He has to see three to four doctors at least 10 times a month to supervise his health to make sure that his body is not getting weaker.”
In order to raise funds for Pittman’s mounting medical bills, friends, family and colleagues are sponsoring a pancake-eating contest Jan. 30 at IHOP.
“Jeff is an all-around good guy,” Dorsey said. “He’s helped everyone that will let him help, whether it’s fundraisers, bingo, or anything like that. He’s given money, time and everything else you can imagine to help our community.”
For those interested in helping, email cillad47@hotmail.com.
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