Ray’s Ray of Hope: Toy Drive for Young Burn Victims

Knowing what it is to go through the ravages of having to deal with life-threatening burns, Battalion Chief Timothy Simon, a 23-year veteran of the Perth Amboy Fire Department - currently recovering more than a year after suffering burns while fighting a fire that displaced 14 residents of a Grove St. building – wanted to do something to mitigate his pain, and the pain of loss those residents felt.

Helping him in his recovery were his two children – but probably more so, seeing the young victims being treated at the Burn Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.

And it was that mental image that propelled Simon to do something in aiding those victims - an effort that continues to this day.

According to this report from mycentraljersey.com:

Participants are asked to drop off toy donations through April 30 in bins at the Perth Amboy Fire Department, 375 New Brunswick Ave., or the Perth Amboy Police Department, 365 New Brunswick Ave.

 

Toy donations also can be dropped off at the firehouses in Edison, Woodbridge, West Orange, Jersey City, the Middlesex County Fire Academy in Sayreville and Cardinal McCarrick High School in South Amboy, she said. Monetary donations can be made payable to the Saint Barnabas Burn Foundation.

 

The toys collected will be delivered to the hospital in the first week of May.
Beverly Foster, director of the Saint Barnabas Burn Foundation, said the foundation stores the toys for the burn unit.

“When they need any, they call us,” said Foster, adding that the toy closet is used to store toys also distributed to children in the pediatric and cancer units and hospital affiliates.

Foster said people interested in donating are asked to visit www.saintbarnabasfoundation.org and the Child Life Program category, where there is a wish list of scrapbooking items, arts and crafts supplies, video games, puzzles, baby rattles, crib mobiles and other items wanted. New stuffed animals are given to children to take home.

Foster said the toys are used to keep the children occupied while in the hospital setting.

Susan Simon said that her husband's road to recovery hasn't been easy but forgetting your own travails, no matter how perilous they may be – and concentrating on the needs of others too young to understand what all has happened to them makes Tim Simon a hero – in more ways than one.

That's why today we confer our Ray's Ray of Hope status on Timothy Simon of the Perth Amboy Fire Department and his lovely wife Susan.

Susan and Battalion Chief Timothy Simon of the Perth Amboy Fire Department – today’s Ray’s Ray of Hope.