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Bills Mafia supporting 12-year-old fan in Switzerland

Jimmy Morrissey was admitted into a hospital three weeks ago in Switzerland because he came down with a few viruses that put him into kidney failure.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Throw an obstacle in Jimmy Morrissey's life and it'll get covered with his love of the Bills.  

Take the dialysis port sticking out of his neck, for example, which has a mini Bills helmet over it. 

"We're just trying to have fun with it," said Jimmy's mom, Heather Morrissey. 

The 12-year-old has been dressed in the team's apparel since birth because his mom is from Western New York. So growing up in Cleveland, it was a no-brainer who would get Jimmy's support. 

"It was either that or be a Cleveland Browns fan," Jimmy Morrissey said. "Go with the better team."

A year and a half ago, Jimmy's family moved to Switzerland for his dad's job. Not even a six-hour time difference can change their routine. 

"We brought our love for the Bills with us and we watch every game. 7 at night, 2 in the morning, it doesn't matter, and Jimmy watches every game with me," Heather Morrissey said.

"Oh yes," Jimmy Morrissey said.

That's despite Jimmy being admitted into a Switzerland hospital, with two viruses putting him into kidney failure three weeks ago. 

He's quickly turned his hospital room into a class about American football for nurses and doctors.

"They know my team for sure," Jimmy Morrissey said. 

When Jimmy's mom shared that with Bills Mafia on Facebook, the support came pouring in. 

"The Bills Mafia, thousands of people, I'm your aunt, I'm your uncle, the Mafia and all these neat messages. We'd sit there and we'd read them for hours, every single message, prayers and well wishes. It's such an amazing community," Heather Morrissey said.

Nothing short of what you would expect from Buffalonians or the current and former players who Jimmy idolizes. 

Both Dawson Knox and Jim Kelly send Jimmy videos of well wishes. 

"It made my year. It's very hard. But when you receive videos like those, it's just amazing," Jimmy Morrissey said. 

Jimmy even gives Bills Mafia, his new extended family, credit for helping him walk out of the ICU. Thankfully, he will never know a life without them or the Bills winning streak. 

"I would probably still be down in the ICU," Jimmy Morrissey said. "I'm just ... it helps me."

"We told the nurses his team won, so we're going to have a low blood pressure, and they take it, and they go, 'Oh, it actually works,' " Heather Morrissey said. 

Switzerland may be where Jimmy's family has planted roots.

"Every time we visit the United States, it's we're going to Buffalo," Jimmy Morrissey said. 

However, it will always be the town who helped him overcome one his biggest obstacles also feeling like home. 

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