Firefighters support retired Henry County lieutenant with leukemia
Retired Henry County lieutenant faces cancer fight
Retired Henry County Fire Rescue Lt. Kevin Gillum is fighting leukemia after 31 years of service. His fellow firefighters are urging community members to donate blood platelets at Atlanta Blood Services in Marietta to support his chemotherapy treatments.
HENRY COUNTY, Ga. - A retired Henry County Fire Rescue firefighter is battling a leukemia diagnosis, and his former department is rallying to support him.
What we know:
Kevin Gilham served with Henry County Fire Rescue for 31 years as a firefighter and lieutenant. Now retired, he is receiving backing from colleagues he worked beside for decades.
Firefighting runs in the family, as Gilham's father was a firefighter, and his son, Mason Gilham, currently serves with Henry County Fire Rescue.
"He's someone I have looked up to my whole entire life ever since I was a little kid," Mason Gilham said. "If anything, I wanted to be just like him."
To assist with his treatment, Henry County Fire Rescue is encouraging community members and fellow first responders to donate blood platelets.
"When he goes through chemotherapy he needs platelets, they need to put it back; it only lasts 5 days," retired colleague Brian Gibson said. "That’s why we need that constant of donating platelets.
Fire department support
What they're saying:
Gibson worked alongside Gilham for more than 30 years and described the deep connection among members of the department.
"We are family. Started together 32 years ago, we went on vacations together. We do stuff away from home together, this is family not just coworkers," Gibson said.
Gibson noted that Gilham was always someone colleagues could turn to for help, describing him as smart and able to make others feel like family.
"If he thought you weren’t doing something correctly, he would definitely correct you. But he always made it feel like you were family after. We always called him the big teddy bear," Gibson said.
Mason Gilham expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support for his father from the community and his fellow firefighters.
"His work ethic is just incredible. I haven’t seen anybody who compares to him with his work ethic and what he's willing to do for people," Mason Gilham said.
How to donate platelets
What you can do:
The fire department is focused on getting people to donate blood platelets that will go directly to Kevin.
Donations of blood platelets for Kevin can be made at the Atlanta Blood Services at 220 Cobb Parkway N Suite 100 in Marietta, Georgia or ABS at Northside Hospital.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from interviews conducted by FOX 5's Tara Jabour with Henry County Fire Rescue firefighter Mason Gilham and retired firefighter Brian Gibson.