Tulsa Area FOPs, Shriners Raise Funds For Jeremiah Mitchell

By Emory Bryan and NewsOn6.com,

TULSA, OK -- It's going to be a long road to recovery for an Oologah boy who came down with bacterial meningitis, and Tulsa area Fraternal Order of Police organizations are jumping in to help. 

In three hours collecting funds on Tulsa streets, the FOPs collected $46,910.60.

Jeremiah Mitchell is in the Shriners Children's hospital in Cincinnati, where his family says he'll stay for at least a month.

3/30/2010 Related story: Oologah Boy Arrives At Ohio Hospital For Facial Reconstruction Surgery

The 6-year-old had both his arms and legs amputated and will have facial reconstructive surgery as early as Thursday morning. 

Jeremiah's tragic situation has not only taken an emotional toll on his family but a financial one as well.  That's why members of the Oklahoma Fraternal Order of Police wanted to help. 

It was an early morning for many police officers, raising money to help Jeremiah's family. 

"To try to help alleviate some of the financial burden so they have a little less challenge in that field, so they can focus on all the other challenges they have to face," said Laurel Ledbetter of the Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police.

Officers from Tulsa and five surrounding departments raised money. They tried a doughnut eating contest and used radio station KRMG to get drivers to pull over and donate.

"We really want to take some of that burden away from the family so they can focus on his recovery, focus on getting him the care that he needs," said Tulsa FOP member Ryan Perkins. 

"Even if you don't have children how could you not be touched by what this poor child has to face in his life?" said Donna Anderson, donor. 

The fund raiser took place at three locations including 71st and Harvard.  FOP members accepted donations from drivers who stopped by. The Broken Arrow FOP held its event at the northeast corner of 81st Street and 145th East Avenue and included a donut eating contest. 

And the Owasso FOP and the Collinsville FOP took donations behind the RCB Bank at 86th Street North and U.S. Highway 169.    

The fundraising effort isn't over.  An account has been set up at F & M Bank locations, and through the Tulsa Akdar Shrine. 

Jim Mullings is Potentate of Tulsa's Akdar Shrine, which started paying the costs of Jeremiah's care Tuesday morning, when he was transferred to a Shrine Burn Hospital.

"That is where he's at - Cincinnati and as large as it looks, it's only a 30 bed," Mullings said. "And the cost right now in Cincinnati is huge.

"I think easily it could be a million dollar deal, but you know we have a lot of those."

The Shriners have committed to providing specialty care for Jeremiah, including transportation to their hospitals, through his 18th birthday.

"We already have Jeremiah approved for our St Louis hospital whenever he's ready and gets out of Cincinnati he can go to St Louis, where they build all the prosthetics and take care of his needs in that area."

Though Jeremiah Mitchell has needed extensive care already at St Francis in Tulsa, he's now under the care of a Shriner's Hospital where the cost of his care is supported by the Shriners.

"We already have Jeremiah approved for our St Louis hospital whenever he's ready and gets out of Cincinnati he can go to St Louis, where they build all the prosthetics and take care of his needs in that area."

 Since the Shriners don't take money from insurance companies, the government, or the family, doctors do whatever will benefit the patient, regardless of cost.

 "They are free to provide whatever care they deem necessary, they are not restricted in any way," Mullings said.

Of course, that is at a tremendous cost - and Jeremiah is just one of 1,300 children getting care through the Tulsa Shrine district.