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Ohio firefighter’s brain cancer a rallying cry for state cancer bill

The 25-year veteran firefighter with incurable cancer is pushing a bill to make firefighter cancer covered by worker’s compensation

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — Fire Capt. Mike Palumbo received an outpouring of support Saturday during a community fundraiser.

WKYC reported that Palumbo, a 25-year firefighter veteran, was diagnosed with an aggressive, incurable form of brain cancer in October 2015. Yet the event was about more than helping one firefighter.

The fundraising effort also aims to raise awareness and change Ohio laws regarding worker’s compensation for firefighters diagnosed with job-related cancers.

Ohio Senate Bill 27 would provide all firefighters diagnosed with cancer worker’s compensation.

Palumbo, a father of five, says the bill would help families like his.

Those who attended the pub-crawl fundraiser also wrote letters to lawmakers and signed petitions supporting the bill.