CENTENNIAL, Colorado (9News.com) – Doctors told the Blanchfields their son had the worst case of HCM they had seen and he needed a heart transplant to survive. All they could do was hope doctors could buy them enough time as they waited. Ryan is a firefighter with South Metro Fire and Rescue. He’s been with his team for eleven years.
Aaron Zimmerman was in the academy class with Ryan, where they formed a tight friendship. He still remembers hearing the news from Ryan. “He’s that big tough guy to us, and to hear that crackle in his voice,” Zimmerman said. “All we wanted for Cash was to get better and to give them the time they needed to be with their boy.”
So Zimmerman sent out an email asking firefighters to take Ryan’s shifts, so he could be with his son, get paid and not lose his health benefits. Within minutes the shifts were filled, one month at a time.
