Orlando firefighter faces cancer battle as colleagues rally to help

Orlando firefighter faces cancer battle as colleagues rally to help

Juwan VanBuren, 33, has been an Orlando firefighter for one-and-a-half years. Previously, VanBuren worked as a firefighter in Hillsborough and Brevard counties. The young father of four is known for being a caretaker, and for helping others in their time of need ? but now it?s him who needs a helping hand. VanBuren said a lingering cough led to a scary discovery earlier this year.

ORLANDO, Fla. - An Orlando firefighter and Coast Guard reservist is receiving support from his colleagues as he faces a serious health battle just weeks after becoming a father of four.

The backstory:

Juwan VanBuren, 33, has been an Orlando firefighter for one-and-a-half years. Previously, VanBuren worked as a firefighter in Hillsborough and Brevard counties.

The young father of four is known for being a caretaker, and for helping others in their time of need – but now it’s him who needs a helping hand. VanBuren said a lingering cough led to a scary discovery earlier this year.

"On July 8th, I found out i had multiple masses in my lungs," VanBuren said. "Multiple masses, and multiple swollen lymph nodes. They went in through bronchoscopy and got two biopsies yesterday. So, they're just waiting to see what those test results are and then go forward from there."

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According to VanBuren, the discovery came just months after he received a clean bill of health and a clear chest scan in January.

Juwan VanBuren

VanBuren also serves as a U.S. Coast Guard reservist. He’s a father of four; his youngest, named Amorah, was born just 30 days ago. There’s no good time to have a health scare, but this he said is probably one of the worst.

"I just bought a house, and I’m just thinking to myself like, man this is, this is just not the time," VanBuren said. "Like no time is the time ever, but this right here is like, it was very scary."

Currently, VanBuren is at Orlando Regional Medical Center awaiting biopsy results.

Dig deeper:

Florida does have cancer benefits for firefighters. Qualifying candidates could receive a one-time cash payment of $25,000, time off equivalent to that of other injuries or illnesses sustained on the job, and employer reimbursement for the cost of cancer treatments.

However, per state statute 112.1816, because VanBuren has not worked for the Orlando Fire Department for a continuous five years, he does not qualify.

"When we found out that I wasn't [going to] be covered, it was almost devastating," VanBuren said. "Like, wow, man, you know, that's something that we probably need to work on like in the near future."

His coworkers at the firehouse are now stepping in to help raise money for his cancer treatments.

What you can do:

Fellow firefighter, Justin Glass and the rest of Fire House 9, have created a GoFundMe to assist VanBuren with medical costs. Part of "The Outpost" crew, Glass said it’s important to come together in time of crisis.

"Juwan is a very selfless person. He’s super energetic. He keeps everyone up and always makes sure that we are positive. We really just wanted to be there to support him in any way that we could," Glass said. "It’s very humbling for all of us to realize, hey, this can happen to any of us."

VanBuren said his friends at the firehouse, who are now family, have taken a huge burden off of his plate."[It’s] the camaraderie from the fire service that I really love the most – and the Coast Guard, as well," VanBuren said. "We're a family; we always look out for each other."

Here is a link to the GoFundMe account.

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