The wife of a firefighter who died of cancer is hoping that his story will help draw attention to the growing number of firefighters with cancer. Banks' gear will be on the back of a department truck during the funeral procession Saturday. Drowning Creek Firefighter Christopher “Chris” Banks Jr., 28, lost his battle to nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a cancer that originates in the tissue behind nasal passages, on Saturday. Banks left behind his wife, Megan, and two children. “He was my best friend,” Megan said. “We did everything together. I mean everything.” Chris was committed to firefighting.
“He loved firefighting,” Megan said. “Before he went onto medical leave, he fought fires and went onto every call that he could.” The cancer was stage 3 when it was diagnosed, and spread to his bones, blood stream and liver.
Now, Megan wonders if the cancer was caused by fighting fires.