Helping an IAFF Firefighting Family Fight for Life
Donation protected
Ronnie and Amy Best are a family like any other! Husband and wife, full of love and compassion for their children and others. What sets them apart from most, is the fact that both of them serve others as members of the Newport News, Virginia Fire Department family; Ronnie, a Captain and paramedic and Amy, a Senior Firefighter/Medic unselfishly serve their fellow citizens and co-workers. Ronnie and Amy also pay it forward in their profession by serving as Lead Lab Instructors with the Thomas Nelson Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Education Department family; helping to educate the next generation of fire and EMS providers to develop the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to help them find success within themselves, as well as within the fire and EMS profession. Both, Ronnie and Amy are members of the Newport News Professional Firefighters family, IAFF Local 794. Ronnie and Amy have a nearly two-year old son, Ronnie III and they were just blessed with the arrival of twins, Hunter and Riley! However, Hunter and Riley arrived several weeks premature and are currently experiencing complications of their premature arrival.
Since their arrival, just a few short weeks ago; Hunter has developed severe respiratory compromise and has been sedated and on a ventilator in the Pediatric ICU at VCU Medical Center. Riley, has an undetermined potential complication with her kidneys, she is being seen at and monitored by the staff at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters and they will determine if she requires surgery within the next three weeks or so.
As anyone can imagine, a family can only plan for so many potential contingencies when they are expecting, especially for twins and with unanticipated medical complications. As Ronnie and Amy are doing their best to be there for each other, they are both doing all things necessary to ensure appropriate care for all of their children. For Hunter, this means in-patient pediatric intensive care and life supporting measures; for Riley, this means multiple medical appointments. Ronnie and Amy are working together to ensure someone is with each of the children and Ronnie III around the clock. This often means that Ronnie and Amy are supporting each other via telephone and not always in person. As Hunter is in the pediatric ICU in Richmond and Riley’s appointments are in Norfolk, the family is spending considerable time traveling, eating out, when and where they can, as well as other unanticipated expenses.
The expenses associated with the medical bills, travel, food, lodging and the everyday living expenses for the Best family are rising quickly. While, they do have medical insurance, they continue to have deductibles, copays and non-covered charges/obligations that they are responsible for covering. These expenses coupled with the fact that Amy will be in a leave without pay status in the near future will place a hardship on a member of our public safety family. Therefore, we, their public safety family and friends have established this Go Fund Me campaign in an attempt to ease the unexpected and untimely financial burden facing the Best family!
All donations will go directly to Ronnie and Amy to help cover the costs associated with the care, treatment and appointments for Hunter and Riley, as well as to help support the extensive and long travel to and from appointments at the hospital, food and lodging for Ronnie and Amy and care for Ronnie III, as necessary. At this time, our public safety family and members of the Best family have been covering all of the childcare needs for Ronnie III and helping to keep his life as normal as possible while Ronnie and Amy do all they can to support each other, Hunter and Riley. Additionally, donations may be used to support the living expenses of the Best family as they lose half of their family income for the unforeseeable future, as well as any special medical equipment and/or care once Hunter becomes strong enough to come home and/or for Riley based the outcomes of future diagnosis.
What we do know is this, the expenses will far outweigh the income potential for this family that has dedicated their lives to helping others. Ronnie, Amy and their family, are part of our fire and EMS families. We love their children, as if they were our own and we want to do all things possible and necessary to help them, as they have done for so many strangers.
Thank you for taking the time to read their story, and thank you for donating if you are able!
On behalf of the Best family from your Newport News Fire Department, Local 794 and Thomas Nelson Fire and EMS Edu. Family Members!
Since their arrival, just a few short weeks ago; Hunter has developed severe respiratory compromise and has been sedated and on a ventilator in the Pediatric ICU at VCU Medical Center. Riley, has an undetermined potential complication with her kidneys, she is being seen at and monitored by the staff at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters and they will determine if she requires surgery within the next three weeks or so.
As anyone can imagine, a family can only plan for so many potential contingencies when they are expecting, especially for twins and with unanticipated medical complications. As Ronnie and Amy are doing their best to be there for each other, they are both doing all things necessary to ensure appropriate care for all of their children. For Hunter, this means in-patient pediatric intensive care and life supporting measures; for Riley, this means multiple medical appointments. Ronnie and Amy are working together to ensure someone is with each of the children and Ronnie III around the clock. This often means that Ronnie and Amy are supporting each other via telephone and not always in person. As Hunter is in the pediatric ICU in Richmond and Riley’s appointments are in Norfolk, the family is spending considerable time traveling, eating out, when and where they can, as well as other unanticipated expenses.
The expenses associated with the medical bills, travel, food, lodging and the everyday living expenses for the Best family are rising quickly. While, they do have medical insurance, they continue to have deductibles, copays and non-covered charges/obligations that they are responsible for covering. These expenses coupled with the fact that Amy will be in a leave without pay status in the near future will place a hardship on a member of our public safety family. Therefore, we, their public safety family and friends have established this Go Fund Me campaign in an attempt to ease the unexpected and untimely financial burden facing the Best family!
All donations will go directly to Ronnie and Amy to help cover the costs associated with the care, treatment and appointments for Hunter and Riley, as well as to help support the extensive and long travel to and from appointments at the hospital, food and lodging for Ronnie and Amy and care for Ronnie III, as necessary. At this time, our public safety family and members of the Best family have been covering all of the childcare needs for Ronnie III and helping to keep his life as normal as possible while Ronnie and Amy do all they can to support each other, Hunter and Riley. Additionally, donations may be used to support the living expenses of the Best family as they lose half of their family income for the unforeseeable future, as well as any special medical equipment and/or care once Hunter becomes strong enough to come home and/or for Riley based the outcomes of future diagnosis.
What we do know is this, the expenses will far outweigh the income potential for this family that has dedicated their lives to helping others. Ronnie, Amy and their family, are part of our fire and EMS families. We love their children, as if they were our own and we want to do all things possible and necessary to help them, as they have done for so many strangers.
Thank you for taking the time to read their story, and thank you for donating if you are able!
On behalf of the Best family from your Newport News Fire Department, Local 794 and Thomas Nelson Fire and EMS Edu. Family Members!
Organizer and beneficiary
Paul Long
Organizer
Yorktown, VA
Ronnie Best
Beneficiary
