Poughkeepsie Journal
CHELSEA, N.Y. — For nearly three decades, he’s dedicated his life to helping others.
Now, a Chelsea Fire District volunteer is the one who needs help — and his company and community are rallying around him to offer it. Michael Cabrera Jr., 45, is awaiting a heart transplant at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia Presbyterian Center in Manhattan. Years of heart problems never stopped the Chelsea resident from giving his all to the people around him, said his loved ones.
“I’d be helping out around the firehouse,” said Cabrera, also a member of the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps. “I cook for the guys and when they’re at a fire, I’d make sure they had water to drink. When they were hot, I’d rip up sheets and dip them in ice water... for them.” In 2003, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. His health “went south” in December, Cabrera said. He suffers from cardiomyopathy, where the heart muscle becomes enlarged, thick or rigid.
Full story: VIDEO: Volunteer firefighter Cabrera needs heart transplant; Community rallies