Firefighters for Healing partners with HCMC Burn Unit for Annual Christmas Blessing Gift Drop
Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 8:28AMVia a December 6 news release from Firefighters for Healing and Hennepin County Medical Center:
Firefighters for Healing partners with HCMC Burn Unit for Annual Christmas Blessing Gift Drop
Today from 10:30AM to 11:45AM Firefighters for Healing will once again deliver gifts and good cheer to patients and their families who are being cared for in Hennepin County Medical Center’s Burn Center. In addition, the event will feature the unveiling of the Firefighters for Healing Family Room.
“We want staff to feel our love and support, patients to feel a moment of relief, families and caregivers to see a good deed and – and volunteers to feel energized to do even more,” explains Jake LaFerriere, former Minneapolis firefighter and founder of Firefighters for Healing. “The age range of patients and stories of how they are burned compounds the emotions we experience each year we do this. Our only wish is to bring hope and joy in the midst of what can be an extremely painful time – both physically and emotionally – for these patients and families.”
Firefighter and founder Jake LaFerriere with a young burn survivor
Who: Firefighters for Healing board of directors and the Minneapolis Fire Department
What: Fire trucks to deliver gifts, holiday cheer to patients, families and staff at Hennepin County Medical Center’s Burn Center and unveil the FireFighters for Healing Family Room.
When: Tuesday, December 6, 2016 between 10:30AM – 11:45AM (2 fire rigs loaded with presents will arrive on 6th Street near the 717 S. 6th St. entrance between 10:15AM – 10:30AM)
Where: Hennepin County Medical Center – 717 S. 6th Street, Minneapolis MN, 55415
Why: This holiday season may be different for families experiencing burn trauma or surgeries related to a previous burn injury. The FireFighters for Healing mission is to bring hope and joy to families in need so families know they are not alone in their recovery to a new normal.
Firefighters for Healing (F4H) was founded by a former Minneapolis firefighter, Jake LaFerriere, after he suffered third and fourth degree burns as a result of a backdraft explosion in 2010. While in recovery, he met several children in the burn unit, each undergoing painful treatments for their injuries. This inspired him to create Firefighters for Healing (F4H), a non-profit foundation that provides financial and emotional support to children who are survivors of severe burns. Visit http://www.firefightersforhealing.org/ for more information.
The Burn Center at Hennepin County Medical Center is nationally recognized for its expertise in treating burn patients of all ages. Staffed by specially trained burn care nurses and physicians, the 17-bed inpatient unit and ambulatory care clinic provide comprehensive burn care to patients from throughout the Midwest.
“Continuing to fight after the fire is out. We have a passion for compassion”
