Shown during the donation from left to right are: David Hines, President, Woodbridge Township Firefighters Association; Steve Terebetsky, Ryan's Grandfather; Detective Joelle Slossberg, Woodbridge Police Department; Officer Jessie Minsal, Woodbridge Police Department; Kathy Morgan-Gorman, Vice President of BMSCH; Barbara Romito, Director of Child Life at BMSCH; Anthony Terebetsky, Woodbridge Township Firefighters Association; Justin Holloway, Treasurer, Woodbridge Township Firefighters Association; Michael Geiger, Woodbridge Township Firefighters Association; and John J. Gantner, President and CEO of RWJUH.
During the holiday season and throughout the year, The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) receives many generous donations. These donations are often motivated by personal, heartfelt experiences, like the one shared this week by Port Reading Firefighter Anthony Terebetsky.
The Woodbridge Township Firefighters Association directed this year’s toy donation to BMSCH at the request of Anthony, whose son Ryan was diagnosed with leukemia in March and received care at BMSCH.
“With my son Ryan being diagnosed with leukemia this past March, I asked our Union brothers if we could move our annual hospital toy donation to BMSCH,” Anthony explained. “After years of being on the giving end of the program, I explained to them what it was like to now be on the receiving side of the program and they were very supportive.”
The Woodbridge Township Firefighters Association agreed to make a $500 donation, helping Anthony purchase gifts. Anthony and his wife matched the Union's donation with a $500 contribution. In addition, the Woodbridge Police Department donated a $350 gift card to the cause. The donations supported the purchase of 187 gifts for BMSCH!
“My family and I cannot say thank you enough to all the members of the Child Life Program at BMSCH for all the care and support given to Ryan and our family during our 40 days in the hospital,” Anthony said. “This is just a small token of our appreciation and a way for us as a family to pay it forward to other families.”
Thank you to the Woodbridge Township Firefighters Association and the Woodbridge Police Department for your generous donation of toys to support our children and families at BMSCH!