First responders on Aquidneck Island will be trading their guns and fire hoses for ice skates and hockey sticks later this month for their annual charity hockey game.

This year, Aquidneck Island Police and Fire Hockey Club is raising money for a 25-year-old Portsmouth woman suffering from a rare illness.

Mary Jane “MJ” Milici suffers from MELAS syndrome, which is a rare mitochondrial disease that affects the nervous system and muscles.

“She’s definitely the strongest person I know and I love her more because of it,” her sister Sofia Milici said.

See more at wpri.com.