Seymour welcomed 'Baby Mikey' home. Emergency responders put up this sign at his house and posted it to Facebook.
SEYMOUR – A baby born prematurely to the family of a local emergency responder is at home after a long stay in a Philadelphia children’s hospital.
“Baby Michael Russell is home,” Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis said at the March 5 meeting of the town’s legislative body.
“Baby Mikey” is the son of Seymour’s Mike Russell and his wife, Jessica. The child was born prematurely with a tumor in his lung that was removed in a surgery when he was just two days old.
The little guy spent 94 days in a children’s hospital after having half of his lung removed.
Drugonis said Mikey is doing well and growing stronger each day. He came home on March 4.
His father is a 16-year member of Citizen’s Engine Co. No. 2. The volunteer fire department organized a boot drive fundraiser on Dec. 30 that raised about $30,000 for the family’s medical expenses.
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Citizen’s Engine Co. No. 2 posted the following information on March 4:
“Back in December, we shared the story of Baby Mikey Russell, son to life long Seymour resident and 16 year C2 member Mike Russell and his wife Jessica. Baby Mikey was born as a micro preemie with a tumor in his right lung.
Mikey proved to be an immediate miracle, surviving surgery to remove half of his lung at not even two days old despite the surgeon’s warning that the baby would almost certainly not live through the procedure. Not only did Mikey survive, he grew stronger little by little each day.
A boot drive fundraiser was held to support the Russell’s and the response from our neighboring departments, family and friends, and the community as a whole was more than we could have ever imagined.
After spending 94 days in the NICU at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Baby Mikey was released to go home. Today, along with our brothers and sisters at Seymour Ambulance, we had the honor of welcoming Baby Mikey and the Russell Family home. Thank you to all who have supported the Russell’s throughout the last 3 months.
We are happy to report Mikey is doing well and continues to grow and reach new milestones everyday.”
