Residents across Mississippi are stepping up to help the family of a volunteer firefighter who died last week from anaphylactic shock after being stung by wasps.
Marvin Pigford, a firefighter with the Moselle Volunteer Fire Department, passed away Sept. 4. As his family mourns, a GoFundMe has been created to raise money for funeral costs and other unexpected finances.
“As a volunteer firefighter and concrete construction finisher, my dad wanted to do nothing more than to help people in need,” Sara Pigford, Marvin’s daughter, wrote in the online fundraiser’s description.
As of Wednesday morning, over $3,000 had been raised for the Pigford family. Donations can still be made by clicking here.
Sara is also using her father’s passing to raise awareness about anaphylaxis – a severe, whole-body allergic reaction that occurs rapidly after exposure to a trigger, or allergen – and what can be done to prevent allergic reactions from resulting in death.
“I want to bring awareness to anaphylactic shock,” she continued. “He was allergic to wasp and bee stings but did not know the severity as he got older. It is important to inform others, develop an action plan, and keep an epinephrine auto-injector nearby. You never know when you may need it because it might save you or a loved one’s life.”
Pigford was 51 at the time of his death. He had been with the Moselle Volunteer Fire Department for about a year and a half and is remembered as “a good family and very Godly man” who loved to fish, hunt, and help others, per his obituary.
Pigford’s funeral will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Shady Grove Baptist Church in Hattiesburg. Visitation will be held Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Jones and Son Funeral Home in Moselle.
