Anyone can be a hero!

On August 6th, 2017, my family and I were involved in a horrific auto accident on Interstate 81 in Bristol, TN at 9:30 pm. We were traveling to visit our son attending Marion Military Institute in Alabama. That evening, a dump truck that had his bed up ran into a bridge and separated from the chassis. It fell in front of us and we hit is at 72 MPH. I suffered a fractured skull, 2 broken vertebrae, a broken wrist, lacerated spleen, concussion, minor brain bleed, a traumatic brain injury and other bruises/cuts. I now have a plate with 4 screws in my neck. I was the front passenger and I don't remember the incident or the 1st 10 days post accident. I was in ICU and ended up in a nursing home. The worst part of my rehab was I had double vision for 7 months, major trouble talking and had to learn how to walk again. My family also experienced very serious injuries including our 16 year old daughter who now has 2 bars and 10 screws in her back.

In the 10 days of memory lapse, I can only recall 2 images. One of them was the fire department that saved us was lined around my bed in the ICU. The Sullivan County Volunteer Fire Department near Bristol, TN are my brothers/sisters and heroes. You see, when they found out I was a volunteer firefighter with the Milton Fire Department in NY, they came to the hospital to check on my family and myself. I love these men and women! They will be in our hearts for the rest of our lives.

There's more!

You see, I couldn't work for 7 months let alone walk! My home house, the Milton Fire Department will be forever in our family. Because of me not working, they paid our mortgage for 5 MONTHS! It's over 2 years and I'm still at a loss for words for this department of angels.

Fast forward to today!

I've started a foundation called the Fallen Heroes Foundation. We are a new not for profit organization! Our mission is to help the families of fallen firefighters killed in the line of duty.

Volunteer firefighters volunteer more than their time. It impacts their family, their jobs and sometimes, their lives. As volunteers, their families sometimes are not afforded the benefits others do. These heroes also have full time jobs. I remember not having any income coming in because of my injuries. For the families of fallen volunteer firefighters, it is SO much worse.

I firmly believe that when the accident happened, God tapped me on the shoulder and said: "Mackey, you still have some work to do!"

So I am.

The money we raise will be for the families of the fallen volunteers killed in the line of duty across the United States. Just as my department helped with our mortgage, we are going to do just the same! When we receive a line of duty death, we will be immediately on a plane/train or in the car responding to that family. They will start receiving your generous donation that day! Our immediate goal is to help the family for a year while they try to move on without their loved one! Our ultimate goal, to pay the mortgage of each and every family!