Community offers help for hospitalized Fire Chief

GUNTER, Texas (KXII) - Chief David Gallagher has a huge support system, friends and family are offering help via Facebook by donating to the Go-Fund-Me to help cover his medical expenses.

Michelle Skidmore, Chief Gallagher’s sister, drives to the hospital every morning and goes home late at night.

She said their mom is the one who takes care of him and pulls long days to stay at the hospital with Gallagher for at least 10 or 12 hours.

“He’s the one who saves the lives, does all the things that he does, and he’s now kind of fighting for his life” Skidmore says.

Chief Gallagher has been in and out of the hospital since April, but his health continued to decline. On May sixth, he was admitted to the hospital. ”What he has is it’s an acute pancreatitis that initiated actually from a gallstone getting lodged in the duct of his pancreas” Skidmore explains. She says that they learned that his other organs are now affected, and there is a one in ten chance that people don’t survive this condition.

With the need of multiple surgeries and procedures, Skidmore sys that medical bills are piling up. Chief Gallagher is not working and therefore has no income coming in right now to even pay regular bills. “He’s definitely been overwhelmed with that,” says Skidmore.

But Chief Gallagher is resistant to asking for help. His life-long best friend, Larry Tippin, stepped in and created a Go-Fund-Me on Facebook to help. “If we can just get some of the financial side of things to give David a little bit of peace of mind, then that’s what he wanted to do for him, so it’s been a very big blessing and a great gift,” says Skidmore.

The fundraiser exceeded its original goal of 10 thousand dollars, the new goal is 15 thousand dollars. “Unfortunately, when you’re looking at three months in the hospital, there’s probably going to be a few extra digits that are going to be coming at David” Skidmore explains.

Chief Gallagher has been serving the community as a firefighter for over 20 years. His family and friends say he has spent his life helping others and now help is what he needs. Skidmore says the support has had a huge impact on her brother, “the prayers and well wishes and everything else have just been such a blessing.”

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