Largo Firefighters Battle Cancer Together

Two members of Largo Fire Department's Station 41, C Shift, have cancer, but all of the firefighters there are battling cancer together.

First, it included shaving their heads together when a teammate went through chemotherapy; now, they are planning a community fundraiser on Aug. 24.

Curtis McClendon, 42, of Largo, says he has always been healthy.  Then a routine sonogram, one that all of the firefighters have performed each year on their major organs, showed a spot on his left kidney. McClendon thought it was possibly a fatty cyst.

"We didn't find out it was cancer until the final biopsy," McClendon said. "I was a little tearful.  It was a little scary.  I never ever had been really sick or had anything wrong with me."

Treatment for McClendon's renal cancer involved surgery.

"The kicker to the whole thing is they found a second cyst on the right side ... I am back to work. All is well for now. I have another cat scan on Aug. 21," McClendon said.

Much of his battle with cancer has involved working through the process.

"When you actually have cancer, your mind goes 100 miles an hour. You can't sleep. You can't relax. It seems like everybody has cancer," McClendon said.

MClendon is a firefighter/EMT and has worked in Largo for six years. He is married and has three children.

He's Not Alone

Bob DiMarco, 42, of New Port Richey, was experiencing chest pain at night and shortness of breath.

"I would come to work and hook myself up to the EKG and it was fine," DiMarco said.

Finally, he went to the doctor and was diagnosed with bronchitis. But the antibiotics did not help, and his neck veins started sticking out, DiMarco said.

The diagnosis of DiMarco's Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma took some time.

"The not knowing what was wrong was probably the worst part; usually things just go away. It was kind of a relief to know they had a name for it and they knew what to do. The not knowing consumes your mind, it circles over and over in your head," DiMarco said.

DiMarco is in remission after a half-dozen rounds of chemotherapy, during which time the whole shift shaved their heads, along with firefighters from as far away as DiMarco's native New Jersey, he said.

Both men appreciate the community's support.

"The only time I get emotional is with how generous and loving people are," DiMarco said.

DiMarco is a firefighter/paramedic and has worked in Largo for nine years. He is married and has a 16-month-old daughter.

Ways to Help

The Largo Firefighters are holding a Charity Kickball tournament
Aug. 24 at the Whitesell Softball Complex, 12555 119th St. N., Largo, FL 33778.

The public is welcome to come. There will be a DJ, kickball tournament, food for sale, raffle items and more.

Business sponsorships and raffle items are still needed. Contact Macho Liberti at largoffst@gmail.com for more details.

Donations to help with the men's expenses are being accepted at Tampa Bay Area BB&T bank locations, Liberti said.