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Fire Department Hosts Blood Drive To Support Firefighter Battling Leukemia

MT. LEBANON (KDKA) -- The Mt. Lebanon Fire Department hosted a blood drive Saturday to support a volunteer firefighter who is battling acute myeloid leukemia.

Thirty-two-year-old Matt Kelsey, a volunteer firefighter and emergency department technician at St. Clair Hospital, was diagnosed in December. He arrived at the hospital for work one day and ended up leaving in an ambulance when colleagues suspected he had leukemia and urged him to have labs drawn.

"We're really pulling for him," said Patrick McRee, a volunteer firefighter who helped coordinate the blood drive. "He's a young guy trying to make his way in the world, and for something like this to happen to him, we wanted to band together and do something to help replenish the blood supply that helped him survive his first couple rounds of chemo."

They hoped to have about 50 donors, and with three hours left before the end of the blood drive, McCree said about 40 people had already donated blood.

The Mt. Lebanon Fire Department will also hold a spaghetti dinner fundraiser to help Kelsey and his fiancee with treatment costs. The dinner will be held at the Bridgeville Fire Department on March 4 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Kelsey's family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help with medical costs.

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