Firefighters ask for help for lieutenant battling cancer
Fire Lieutenant Rafael Rodriguez has been battling bone cancer for months. As treatment gets more and more expensive his station firefighters are now asking the public for help.
El Paso Fire lieutenant Rafael Rodriguez is battling metastasized cancer in his lungs and bones, the expensive and painful treatments leaving him unable to work as a firefighter and leaving him incapacitated
“It’s been tough on me because I’d rather be doing this than being on my sofa or laying on my bed. I miss helping my community,” Rodriguez told ABC-7.
“He’s always moving hes always doing something,. You’ll catch him in his office doing reports, but he’s always pulling us out saying let’s go learn, he’s very motivating,” said Sergio Gonzalez, a firefighter at Station 24.
“We serve the community and it’s nothing to joke with, people lives are at stake and in our hands. He, like I said, everything he’s taught us has to do with that, helping the community,” said Alex Zuniga, another Firefighter.
Rodriguez and his firefighters all say the only thing they want is to have him back on the line.
“Hopefully I’ll be in good shape, hopefully I will be cleared,” Rodriguez said.
“Any penny, any penny counts, like he says when we do the MDA drive, any penny counts. Even a report helps so we can get the word out, help us out,” Gonzalez explained.
“Lt. Rafa has been serving for 18 plus years, he’s also served in the military, prior to this, so we need to get him as much help as we can,” said Zuniga.
