ELYSBURG, Pa. — A wail of sirens rose from firetrucks filled the air in a development near Elysburg.
But they weren't rushing out to fight a fire; they were leading a surprise send-off to nurse Kelsey LeVan as she prepares to leave Northumberland County to fight COVID-19 on the front lines.
LeVan was taken back by the unexpected community farewell; it brought the 29-year-old to tears.
"To me, honestly, I thought there was an accident or something. I was ready to come out and help," said LeVan. "And this is awesome."
LeVan is heading off to Santa Rosa, California to work at a hospital treating patients infected with the coronavirus.
As a traveling nurse, LeVan is taking years of experience with her; she's worked everywhere from the Midwest to Alaska.
Not only did LeVan save a life by donating her kidney, but she also continues to save lives by donating her type-O negative blood.
"Nursing definitely my calling," laughed LeVan. "And especially with all this pandemic going on and how bad certain areas are being hit, I definitely feel that I have the knowledge and power to help."
Harvey Boyer, the president of the Elysburg Fire Department, says he couldn't be prouder to be a part of this.
"I saw her go through EMT school before going into nursing school, and to see her go to Alaska was pretty amazing, but now amidst off the this, going to California is just unbelievable," said Boyer.
Now that's she's gotten her big send-off, it's time for LeVan and her father to hit the road to California.
"I always tear up and stuff like that when she leaves," said dad Michael. "But yeah, until we get back into the swing of what we do normally and then realize she's out there helping people."
LeVan and her father will drive her car to California so she can have it while she's there for the next three months.
Her father plans to fly back home once she's dropped off.