Most members of Ayre Drive family whose home burned are getting better
GUILDERLAND — As the community rallies to raise funds for the seven extended family members who lost their McKownville home to fire last week, five of the six who were injured in the fire are improving.
David Morrisey, one of the residents who was pulled from his burning home at 7 Ayre Dr. in the early morning hours of Jan. 24, has apparently been released from the hospital.
Kate Burke, a spokeswoman with the Clark Burn Center of Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, said Wednesday that Morrissey, 40, is no longer in the hospital’s system. His condition had previously been upgraded from critical to good. She said could not comment about whether he had been released from the hospital because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Morrissey’s two sons, Aidan and Tyler, ages 6 and 5, were released after just a few days from Albany Medical Center, and are back at Westmere Elementary School.
The condition of two other injured residents of the Ayre Drive home is holding steady. Michael Fosmire, 6, remains in fair condition at Upstate Medical University, and his brother, Giovanni Felix, 4, is in good condition there. Fosmire is a student at Altamont Elementary School. The condition of both children had originally been critical, so both have shown improvement.
Still in critical condition at Upstate Medical is Christine Sawyer, 51, who is the grandmother of Fosmire and Felix, and the sister of Daniel Morrissey.
Sawyer’s daughter, Amanda Sawyer, who is in her mid-20s and is the mother of Fosmire and Felix, also lived in the residence but was not at home at the time of the fire.
A fund called Morrissey/Sawyer Fund has been set up to benefit the family. The fund is at the Key Bank at 1196 Western Ave. in Guilderland. Branch Manager Kristen Church told The Enterprise recently, “There’s a lot of money coming in. A lot of people have been calling to ask what they can do.”
Friends and relatives have arranged for a fundraiser for the Morrissey-Sawyer family on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Maggie's Sports Bar at 1186 Western Ave. There will be a $25 donation to enter the event, which will include a dinner buffet. A 50/50 drawing will take place as well as drawings of items donated by local businesses such as gift cards.
The fire departments in Westmere and McKownville will host a breakfast fundraiser for the Morrissey-Sawyer family on Sunday, Feb. 21, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Westmere firehouse at 1741 Western Ave. The cost is $8 for adults and $5 for children 5 and older. Children under 5 can eat for free. The menu is set to include pancakes, eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, pastries, and coffee.