Carl "Butch" Morgenstern

Helping someone who has helped many others. In 1970 Carl "Butch" Morgenstern joined the fire service in Maryland as a member of Woodlawn Volunteer Fire Company in Baltimore County where his passion for helping others and answering their call for help began. Butch is a life member and held different positions such as past Fire Lieutenant, Fire Apparatus Driver Operator and also served on the Board of Directors for the Woodlawn Fire Company.

Butch also took great pride in sharing his knowledge and experience with the younger members who came into the fire service with the same passion as he did, being the leader he is, Butch spent many hours as an instructor teaching Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 classes in Baltimore County as well as assisting with other courses.

In 1987 Butch began a career with Reese Volunteer Fire Company in Carroll County (Station 9) as an EMT/Firefighter and Fire Apparatus Driver Operator in which he once again, took great pride in serving the citizens of yet another community and County. While employed at Reese Butch received a life saving award at the Shock Trauma Gala in 2004 for a call he responded on with his colleagues. Butch retired in 2015 after 28 years.

Though Butch is retired he still currently serves on the State of Maryland Fire Service Personnel Qualifications Board, a position he has held since 2006.

Anyone that knows Butch knows he is not one to ask for help but in turn would never hesitate to help anyone he possibly could despite his own well-being. I have known Butch for a few years, and he quickly became a person I consider a great friend and someone I quickly learned to be a friend a friend would want to have, in 2005 Butch was diagnosed with Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) Myocarditis can reduce the heart's ability to pump blood. Myocarditis can also cause chest pain, shortness of breath, and rapid or irregular heart rhythms. Despite being diagnosed, Butch continued to push forward and live life to the fullest with a smile on his face.

Recently, Butch's health has set him back and has been told he needs a heart transplant to sustain life, on December 14th Butch was taken by ambulance to Carroll Hospital Center with complications where the immediate decision was made to fly Butch via helicopter to Baltimore for more advanced care.

Since the 14th of December Butch has been down at the University of Maryland receiving great care in the ICU, the decision was made to place a LVAD device on Butch (left ventricular assist device) to help stabilize Butch and sustain life until a heart transplant is possible. Heidi, Butch's wife and Patrick Butch's stepson has been by his side through this entire journey. As anyone can imagine the medical bills, general cost of living expenses and Heidi's many days of missed work to be by Butch's side can be added stress onto the already stressful situation, no one or a family as a whole should ever have to go through.

There is still a long road ahead for Butch, Heidi and Patrick but with praying hands and skilled staff there will hopefully be light at the end of the tunnel If you're able to help donate to assist the family, I know the Morgenstern family would be beyond grateful, if you're unable to donate, you can still assist by sharing this fundraiser with friends and family.

Butch has helped so many people, many who are/ were complete strangers to him on their worse days of their life and now he needs our help, and for those that are not part of the fire service, we come together for one of our own and Butch is exactly that, one of our own.

"In the darkest hour when the demons come, call on me brother and we will fight them together."