34-Year-Old Firefighter with Terminal Cancer Takes Final Ride in Ambulance He Used to Transport Patients
Courtesy Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Firefighters in Illinois gave an emotional farewell to their colleague with terminal cancer as he left the hospital for the final time.
On Tuesday, personnel from the Itasca Fire Protection District helped transport Frank Nunez from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago to his home, where his loved ones will focus on making him comfortable in his final days.
According to Northwestern Memorial, 34-year-old Nunez was diagnosed with a rare form of soft tissue cancer called synovial sarcoma in 2019 after he experienced pain in his left leg. But he experienced a brief remission after undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment.
Then, in 2021, doctors discovered the cancer had returned, this time in Nunez's left lung. Following the diagnosis, Nunez participated in several clinical trials, and while undergoing treatment, he continued working for the fire department. He even finished a fire inspector training class before he was admitted to Northwestern Memorial in September.
RELATED: 3 Firefighters Who Work Together Celebrate Becoming New Dads Within 24 Hours at Same Hospital
Nunez and his fiancée, Christina, celebrated his 34th birthday on Sept. 21 at the hospital and held a commitment ceremony in his room. The two met only weeks before Nunez was diagnosed with his first bout with cancer, and became engaged in June.
Nunez isn't the only person in his family fighting cancer. His mother received a stem cell transplant for leukemia at Northwestern Memorial on his birthday, and the two said goodbye to each other using a dry-erase board.
"There's nothing sadder than obviously losing somebody, especially somebody young, so vibrant as Frank," Itasca Fire Chief Jack Schneidwind told the hospital of taking Nunez home from the hospital in one of the ambulances he used as a firefighter.
"So to have us have the honor of bringing him home in this — and that's what is for us and the people volunteering — it's an absolute honor to take him on this ride," he added. "But it certainly is heart-wrenching."
Dr. Khalilah Gates said it was inspiring to see how the fire department support Nunez throughout his battle.
"To every day see his fellow firefighters at the room, and we've just come out of this pandemic where we were all on the frontlines, we were all responding," Gates told the hospital. "And to know that they have put their lives on the line for people — Frank is one of those people."
RELATED VIDEO: Firefighter-Paramedic Who Survived Alligator Attack in Fla. Lake: 'I Shouldn't Be Alive'
"And now they're here, looking for us to provide the care for him, I think means a lot," Gates added. "And I also think, and I was just telling the chief, the fact that they were always here 24/7, making sure that Frank was never alone, speaks volumes to who Frank is as a person."
A GoFundMe campaign for Nunez and his family has raised over $25,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
