Community Corner
President Trump Calls Dying West Haven Man: Video
President Donald Trump has helped a West Haven man with cystic fibrosis cross an item off his bucket list by calling him on Tuesday night.
WEST HAVEN, CT — President Donald J. Trump has helped a dying West Haven man cross an item off his bucket list by calling him on Tuesday night. In an effort that proved blood is thicker than politics, Democratic West Haven City Councilwoman Bridgette Hoskie, D-1, led the charge to help her brother Jay Barrett, 44, who is dying of cystic fibrosis and is a huge Trump fan, get in touch with the president.
Hoskie had hoped to get Trump to send Barrett a letter or acknowledge him in some way and asked anyone willing to help out to put in a request at whitehouse.gov, the New Haven Register first reported. Hoskie told the Register that she is “100 percent Democrat” but it became a bipartisan mission with all Westies — Republicans and Democrats alike — working together. The effort paid off when a HUD official, Lynne Patton of New Haven, told Barrett that she spoke with Eric Trump and he has a signed gift from the president that Barrett should receive on Saturday, according to the Register. Eric Trump also called Barrett.
Barrett, who began home Hospice earlier this week, then received a call from the president himself on Tuesday night. In a nearly 3-minute long call, Trump told Barrett that he was a champ and wishes he could come to a rally.
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“Listen, if you could pencil me in, I’ll find a way to get there,” Barrett told Trump.
Trump told Barrett that the next time he’s in the Connecticut area, he’ll be sitting there front row center. Trump also said that he’s sending Barrett a little note, too.
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“I read a beautiful story about you and I just said, I want to call that man, he’s my kind of guy,” Trump said.
Barrett told Trump that he supported him through thick and thin.
“We love you Jay,” Trump said. “That’s really beautiful what you just said. I won’t forget it.”
Trump said that a lot of good things are happening in the medical field and told him to hang tough and “we’ll be talking again in 10 years from now.”
Barrett also told Trump that he planned on voting for him in 2020.
“I’m proud of you,” Trump said to Barrett and told him to keep the fight going.
Watch the full phone call below:
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