The community is rallying together to support a long-standing respected North Bay police officer who suffered a horrible off-duty accident on the weekend.
Constable Gerry Martin, who joined the North Bay Police Service in 1998, fell off a ladder at his home and suffered serious injuries on Saturday, July 6.
Martin was transported to Sudbury General Hospital where he had surgery on the weekend and is still currently recovering there.
According to friends, Martin has full use of his upper body but while it is still early, he currently is paralyzed from the chest down.
Since the news, longtime friend Brent Bywater started up a GoFundme page to help the family.
“I cannot put a price on what Gerry means to me nor can anyone predict the costs and hurdles Gerry and his family will be faced with, in the now and beyond,” stated Bywater on the GoFundme page.
By Thursday afternoon, the fundraising site already showed more than $24,000 has been raised since the campaign started on Tuesday.
In addition to the online fundraiser, the North Bay Police Service has a donation container set up at police headquarters, while the District of Nipissing Paramedic Services is hosting a barbeque and car wash to support Martin.
“Gerry is one of the finest constables within the North Bay Police Service,” stated the Nipissing Paramedic Services on an event poster.
“He is a true ally of EMS, and all proceeds will be donated directly to Gerry and the Martin family during these trying times.”
That event will take place on Saturday, July 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Paramedic Services main base at 1715 Seymour Street.
In a statement, Gerry and the family wanted to stress how thankful they are.
"The outpouring of support from the community has been a beautiful source of strength to us all," the family stated in a text to BayToday.
"We would also like to pass along Gerry’s message of positivity and love for each other. "
