34-Year-Old Firefighter with Terminal Cancer Takes Final Ride in Ambulance He Used to Transport Patients

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: 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.

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.

PHOTO: Courtesy Northwestern Memorial HospitalPHOTO: Courtesy Northwestern Memorial Hospital

“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.”

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“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.”

AGoFundMecampaign for Nunez and his family has raised over $25,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

source: people.com