California Fire Fighter Back to Work After Beating Cancer

August 31 2010 – Santa Barbara County, CA Local 2046 fire fighter Tyler Gilliam is back on the job after winning an 18-month battle with cancer. Because of intense therapy and treatment, Gilliam had missed 540 days of work.

“When we first heard Tyler was sick, the first thing we did was to reach out to the Gilliam family to make sure all of their needs were met,” says Local 2046 President Rob Heckman.

Local 2046 members donated work hours, gave Gilliam rides to his appointments, provided meals and spent many hours visiting him in the hospital. But fellow Local 2046 member David Tolmach took it a step further.

When Gilliam was admitted into the UCLA Medical Center for a second stem cell transplant, which included three days of high-dose chemo infusions, Tolmach and five other fire fighters pledged to run on the three chemo days from Santa Barbara to the medical center in order to be there when Gilliam’s treatment finished. The distance from Santa Barbara to UCLA is 90 miles.

“When they showed up in my hospital room, I couldn’t believe it,” says Gilliam. “After such a rough round of treatment, their arrival was just the spirit boost I needed.”

A video made of the run quickly made the rounds and started making news.

Gilliam underwent a total of six rounds of chemo therapy, two stem cell transplants and five surgeries. He missed 540 days over the course of 18 months before returningto work. “It was a long road and I am glad to be back on the job,” he says.