GoFundMe Set Up For Summit 'Hero' Nurse And Son Who Fled Fire

SUMMIT, NJ — Thirty-five years ago, when Margaret Wanic was almost 40, the mother of four became a widow. She took classes to become a nurse, put her four kids through college, and volunteered on the Gillette Rescue Squad. But now she and her adult son need help.

On Saturday, Wanic, 74, and her son were forced to leave their Summit home on Huntley Road after a fire destroyed the basement.

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"Margaret and her son managed to escape the house in their pajamas, but unfortunately, Margaret’s son is in the hospital with smoke inhalation injuries," wrote the Other Fellow First Foundation on a GoFundMe site. "Their home is not livable, they lost everything in the fire, and they find themselves overwhelmed."

Margaret has volunteered on the Gillette Rescue Squad for 10 years, said the group. She's also "a parishioner of St. Teresa’s Catholic Church in Summit and is a 74-year-old front line hero of the Summit community. Margaret is a very inspirational woman who now finds herself in need of assistance. This family is uncomfortable asking for help because they are so used to helping others when they are in trouble."

The Other Fellow First Foundation (www.OtherFellowFirstFoundation.org) is assisting the Wanic family.

"Margaret has always been there for others," the group posted, "and now it’s our turn to be there for her and her family."

As of Tuesday evening, they had raised $9,553 of a $25,000 goal. The fundraiser can be found here.

TAPInto Summit reported that Wanick's son has been released from the hospital.

Read more about the fire on Summit Patch here.

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