Portsmouth Fire Lt. Russ Osgood was next to firefighter Sarah Fox the day she died from cancer at Concord Hospital when he learned another fire brother, Jeff Bokum, had the disease as well.
The toll Osgood faced in that moment at the hospital was emotional, but a financial one came shortly after. Osgood and firefighters worked to raise thousands of dollars for Bokum’s out-of-pocket costs during his six-month battle as they had for Fox in the months before her death, cancer benefits not yet covered for fighters.
Tuesday will bring the passage of a law funding cancer treatment benefits Bokum and Fox went without before they died within a five-month span. Gov. Chris Sununu will come to Portsmouth Fire Department at 10:30 a.m. that morning to sign a bill making the funding law.
“It’s a great place to sign the bill,” Osgood said. “I think Sarah’s family will feel that way, too. And Jeff’s.”