Former California firefighter Lorenzo Abundiz began a very important journey today, but he'll be ending a long and painful one, too.
For the past 10 years, Abundiz has fought and won two battles with cancer. But now, with those behind him, he's ready to honor the firefighters who lost their own cancer battles by making a cross-country trip from Los Angeles, California to New York City to raise awareness of his fallen brothers and sisters.
He has titled his journey the Code 3 for A Cure Mission of Hope Across America. Along the way, he and his crew, made up of wife, Peggy, son Jeremy (a firefighter-paramedic for the city of Ripon, Calif.) and San Diego firefighter John McNight will be staying at 62 different fire stations. At each station, he will read off the names of fallen firefighters who have lost their lives to cancer. He and his crew will be making the trip in a pumper donated by the Sutphen Corporation.
"I came up with the idea two years ago," he says. "I told my wife, 'one day when my cancer battles are over, I'm going to take a fire engine and go to Times Square.'"
Along his firehouse stops, Abundiz says he and his crew will take the opportunity to rest, eat and talk about firefighters' struggles with cancer.
"It's nice to go to different fire departments to share our story," he says. "I'm looking forward to tasting some firehouse cooking!"
And the pumper won't just be for show -- Abundiz, an EMT, says he and his son are both equip to handle any emergency situation they come across while on the road.
When he and his crew arrive in New York, Abundiz says there won't be a lot of bells and whistles -- just a solemn ceremony to remember firefighters who have died from cancer and reflect on how he almost lost his own fight.
"It's putting closure on it. This year I would have retired from the department at age 55."
Abundiz's battle with cancer began in 1998 when he was diagnosed with high-grade leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects the muscles. He said his diagnosis was made more difficult when it became apparent that he'd have to fight to get his worker's compensation benefits because it was difficult to prove that the cancer was job related.
He says despite a doctor telling him his cancer came from breathing in tar from roof fires, "they determined that it wasn't job-related and said 'well, you're on your own, Lorenzo.'"
Abundiz finished his battle with leiomyosarcoma in September of 2003, and a month later, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He said he was tired from his first cancer battle and tired from the fight over benefits, so he was forced to give up his position with the Santa Ana Fire Department for good.
"I don't want any firefighter to go through what I went through," he says.
And so, he's going to ride.
"It's a worthy cause," says Los Angeles Fire Captain Tina Haro. "We've had 65 or so members who have been felled by cancer. There are certain cancers that impact firefighters more than others, so it's something that matters to us."
And she's not the only one supporting the huge project. Abundiz's website touts celebrity endorsements from people like Celine Dion, William Shatner and Lou Diamond Phillips.
"It goes to show that everybody is on board to help out with this cancer fight," Abundiz says.
Abundiz says once he's made his trip and come back home, his journey will still be far from over. Another cross-country trip is in the works for next year, and he has even bigger plans on his mind.
He's not collecting any money from this trip, but instead the names of his sponsors will be printed on his fire truck so others can give donations. But, he wants his own non-profit so that he can raise funds to help firefighters hit by cancer and their families.
"It's not always an easy road for firefighters after they've laid down their axe and retired," he says. "I want cancer to be gone. Eliminated from the face of the earth."
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