LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Whether it's a sick child or the loss of a spouse, sometimes Louisville Metro Police need a different kind of backup.
Detective Michelle Rusch works in LMPD's Special Victims Unit.
"It makes me go home and hug my children even tighter at night," Rusch said. "So, for the first about year-and-a-half of me being in the unit, I strictly helped children who needed help in our community."
But lately, her focus is on helping a child very close to her heart. He is eight-month-old Tate Rusch. His laugh and smile are just like most babies his age and will melt your heart, but it's what you don't see that has led to several surgeries and mounting medical bills for his family.
"And it is called Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome and it's a genetic syndrome that affects the GI system where he has a hard time gaining weight and maintaining weight," Rusch said.
Detective Michelle Rusch works in LMPD's Special Victims Unit. But lately, her focus is on helping her own child, eight-month-old Tate, who suffers from Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome. (WDRB photo)
Tate's surgeries and hospital stays have caused Rusch and her husband, who is also an officer, to miss a lot of work.
"The first time we took off, we were off for a few weeks with his hospital stay just trying to figure out, you know, what was going on, who was going to take care of him," Rusch said.
In their moment of need, the call for backup was answered by the Louisville Metro Police Foundation.
"When they stepped in and said 'Let us help you,' that was the biggest sigh of relief," Rusch said.
Rebecca Grignon Reker, who works with the Foundation, said the organization helps fill in a lot of the gaps for officers.
"And when something like this happens to little Tate, it's a relief to be able to say 'Hey, we've got this for you,'" Grignon Reker said. "Stuff that's not in the budget that can't be covered, they can come to us."
The money used to help the Rusch family is part of the organization's Officer in Distress Fund, but it's only part of the support the Foundation provides.
"We do Shop with a Cop, we just love to help our officers make a difference," said Grignon Reker. "We have the HUD fund helping us give where officers can go take care of basic needs like formula and diapers when they're out on a run and they see a need."
Saturday, more than 500 people attended the organization's annual fundraiser called Boots, Badges and Bids, which generated a record amount of donations.
Rusch said while she hopes she doesn't need the Foundation going forward, she's glad the backup is there for officers.
"They are the biggest blessing," she said. "I just cannot express our gratitude enough, that my family has for being able to help us in taking something that is so big off of our shoulders."
To donate or learn more about the Louisville Metro Foundation, click here.
Copyright 2022 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
