HOUSTON – Firefighters at Houston Fire Station 51 have been through a lot together.
Four years ago, they lost colleagues in the Southwest Inn fire. Now they're facing another difficult time: a cancer diagnosis.
Most of the firefighters at Station 51 are sporting the same hairstyle. It could be just a fashion thing, sure, but these clean tops are actually a sign of something deeper.
“I would put my life on the line for them and they would do the same for me and I think that’s why they decided to do this for me,” says Mark Herring, who has been a firefighter for about 25 years. The last nine of those he’s been at Station 51.
About two months ago, he was diagnosed with cancer. It’s an all too common event in this field.
“We have two active members right now that are battling cancer and we’ve had another member that has had cancer,” says Station 51 Captain Chad Guest. “It’s because of the line of work, it’s because of the carcinogens that we’re faced with.”
Yet that same line of work comes with coworkers who are more like family.
“One of your brothers is going through something huge like that, we’re going to make sure they know they’re not going through it alone,” says fellow firefighter Jack Miller.
That led to, you guessed it, a party with some clippers.
“The guys wanted to support me, me losing my hair because of my chemo,” Herring says.
And while hairless heads may not be the cure for cancer, the cue-ball camaraderie could make all the difference.
“That positive outlook is something that you need when you’re going through a life-changing event like that,” Guest says.
“Your mind has a lot to do with your diagnosis too. If you don’t stay in an uplifting happy mood you could turn, things could go wrong for you,” Herring says.
Plus, he’s not the only one benefiting from a happier mood.
“I’m a little challenged up top so I sort of like the slick top,” Guest says.
It's not just the guys at Station 51 showing support. Firefighters from throughout HFD have been donating their time so Herring doesn't run out of benefit days. As for the cancer, his doctor tells him he will be cancer free.
