A Hollywood police officer who has served his community for over two decades recently suffered a severe stroke, and now people are coming out of the woodwork to lend a hand.
Bryan Roussell is a military veteran who has been an officer in Hollywood for nearly 28 years until the unexpected happened last week.
"My father had a stroke on Saturday. He was found in his apartment," daughter Sarah Benz said.
Roussell's two daughters and his son rushed in from out of town to be by his side as he is currently in the ICU at Memorial Regional Hospital.
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"He doesn’t have much sensation on his right side," daughter Marisa Moran said.
Roussell's children haven't been able to visit him in the hospital due to COVID-19 restrictions but they have been able to FaceTime with him and they are happy to see him alert and making progress.
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"I just feel that every day that we video chat him, there’s more and more glimpses of hope," Moran said.
It's been tough for Roussell's family, but they are not alone. His colleagues from the Hollywood Police Department and many in the community have come out in full force. Those who knew him have rallied around the officer creating a GoFundMe Page to assist his family with medical bills and additional care he'll need when he's released from the hospital.
His family said they are speechless from the outpouring of support and they believe it's a testament to who their father is.
“My dad all my life has always just given everything he has to his family, to his community, and so it’s just been amazing and overwhelming to see that come back and to see the community also showing that generosity and support," Benz said. "It’s amazing to see his character reflected in the community that he’s serving."
“We’ve had some financial assistance and it’s been mind-blowing but like just the emotional impact that it's had has been so good for healing. It’s been really incredible,” said Moran.
Roussell's children said their father is their rock so they have been coping with his sudden decline in health. They've been told that recovery can take six months to a year, but they're still hopeful for the future.
“He’s the person you go to for anything. And so to think that maybe he might not be like that again is really hard, but our family truly believes that God is in the center of this storm and gosh, I’ve seen so many blessings and so many just true and clear examples of his presence that I know we’re gonna be OK," said Moran.
