Candlelight vigil in Rutland for family in medical crisis

  • RUTLAND — The Rutland community is coming together to support a local family facing a devastating medical crisis. A candlelight vigil for the Sullivan family will be held on 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, December 26th on the Rutland Town Common.

    The vigil is an opportunity for residents to show their solidarity with Patrick and Ciara Sullivan, whose lives were upended earlier this month. Ciara suffered a critical medical emergency requiring intubation, and the couple's twin babies were delivered via emergency C-section. Both infants remain on ventilators with uncertain prognoses, while Ciara is stable but undergoing critical evaluations.

    The family’s ordeal has sparked an outpouring of support. A fundraising campaign on Classy.org has raised over $42,000, far surpassing its initial goal of $5,000. 

    Patrick Sullivan, a longtime Rutland firefighter, EMT, and dispatch supervisor, shared updates about his wife’s condition, including an MRI scheduled to assess potential brain damage. “Her vitals are great, all her organs are working, and she is absolutely beautiful,” he wrote on social media.

    Patrick expressed gratitude for the overwhelming love and prayers from the community. “The amount of people who love her is both surprising and not surprising,” he said. “My wife is the single most beautiful, caring, compassionate, level-headed person I have ever met.”

    Organizers of the vigil encourage everyone to attend and bring candles as a symbol of hope. Donations for the family can still be made via Classy.org.

    The Sullivans’ story serves as a poignant reminder of the strength found in community support during life’s most challenging moments.

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