Norwalk Police Officer Philip Roselle needs assistance.
Norwalk Police Officer Philip Roselle, the father of New Haven Police Officer Justin Roselle, needs our assistance.
According to a GoFundMe page set up on his behalf and an article in Thehour.com, “A 30-year police veteran who was accidentally shot by a fellow officer last September needs a kidney transplant to survive.” The article went on to say, “Last September, he was shot by a fellow officer in an accidental discharge at the shooting range, changing his life forever,” wrote Kelly Hollister, the organizer of the fundraising account.
Officer Philip Roselle, who lives in Norwalk with his wife and their two sons, ages 9 and 14, was shot in the arm during target practice on Sept. 5, 2017, at the firing range at Norwalk police headquarters. Roselle was rushed to the hospital after the shooting. He has been off workers’ compensation since May and has used up the last of his sick and vacation days, Hollister said. According to Hollister, Roselle needs a kidney transplant to survive. She said the creation of the fundraising page was to ensure Roselle and his family didn’t have to worry about money.
The GoFundMe account had raised $6,155 of its $10,000 goal as of 4:10 p.m. Saturday. The page was published on Aug. 28. “Complications from the shooting accident have cause his kidneys to fail, and he is now on dialysis treatment three times a week,” Hollister said. The plan was to get Roselle on the transplant list at Yale New Haven Hospital and start to search for a living kidney donor. Anyone who might be interested in donating a kidney to Roselle is asked to contact Hollister via the GoFundMe page.
But before Roselle can get that life-saving kidney transplant, he has to be in reasonably good health. Over the last two months, he has been in the hospital’s critical care unit twice, Hollister said, adding that he currently has a blood clot in his lung. Doctors are working to try to dissolve the clot with medication, she said. Roselle also has a partial blockage in his heart, Hollister said. He is waiting for a decision on the appropriate treatment for that problem.
And, on top of everything else, Roselle still has the bullet from the shooting inside of him. It was unclear if there are plans to remove it.
Roselle has been a police officer in Norwalk for 30 years. But even if he gets better, he won’t be able to return to his job as a police officer.
“Permanent nerve damage to his right hand caused by the shooting will prevent him from ever working again,” Hollister said.
The GoFundMe page can be found by clicking here or at gofundme.com/veteran-officer-needs-help
A Facebook page that posts updates on Roselle’s condition can be found on facebook by clicking here or at facebook.com/OfficerPhilipRoselle/?ref=br_rs
Any donations to help our brother police officer would be greatly appreciated.