Young California firefighter battling cancer

This is organized by CalFire SLU and Downey Firemen’s Association on behalf of Wendy Watkins. Here is her story. 

My name is Wendy Watkins and I am a 36 year old Firefighter with Cal Fire in San Luis Obispo. It was the morning of my first day on duty, May 10, 2020, when the doctor called with the news. “Your results are positive for infiltrating ductal carcinoma.” Having only begun my career in the fire service three years prior, I was blindsided. I knew that cancer was a huge risk for the occupation, but I never thought it would happen to me. I was young, healthy, active, and relatively new to the job. A month prior to the diagnosis, the lump I discovered in my right breast had no accompanying symptoms. At first, I was hesitant to get a mammogram, but in hindsight, I am so thankful that I did.

Fast forward through to early 2022. After hundreds of scans, infusions, radiation treatments, and a mastectomy- my latest scan finally came back all clear. I was so happy to get back on an engine and work through the summer and into the new year. By March 2023, however, some odd symptoms led me to the ER. I went in thinking that I might have walking pneumonia and walked out of the hospital 6 days later after another scan revealed a recurrence- several tumors in my lungs and lesions on the liver. I went from fighting fire in March to not being able to walk more than a few steps without help in April. It has been a very difficult few months, but the treatments my oncologist has me on now are helping tremendously. I am fighting hard to get back into the field on an engine, with the help and support of my family and fire family.