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| Fire dept. supports one of its own with head shaving party |
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10/2/2015
By Jamie Vinson
Advocate managing editor
The Montgomery County Fire-EMS Dept. is rallying to support one of its own members in a unique way.
Jonathan Oesterman, a captain for the dept., has been diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Oesterman, who has been with the dept. here about three years, is undergoing chemo treatment.
In support of him, fire-EMS employees here participated in a head shaving party last week.
“He came down with a bout of stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma back this summer,” said Bill Hedge, who is filling in for Oesterman as acting captain. “Previously, when he was in Ohio at a fire dept. there, he was diagnosed in 2009 with a bout of stage 2 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He went through chemo then and it cleared up in great shape.
“Then he got sick this summer,” Hedge added. “He started out with bronchitis and pneumonia,” noting that scans determined there were some spots in Oesterman’s chest and lymph nodes.
As Oesterman is beginning to lose his hair from chemo, he decided, Hedge told the Advocate, he wanted to lose it on his own terms. There was no lack of support from dept. members wanting to stand with him.
Fire Chief Larry Potter shaved Oesterman’s head and Oesterman in turn Potter’s with several others participating.
“We are hoping the chemo will get it this time as well,” Hedge said.
The fire-EMS dept. is also selling T-shirts and wrist bands to help Oesterman financially.
“He is not in bad shape, but anyone going through this amount of chemo in six years, it is a lot of financial burden,” Hedge said.
Oesterman said he’s “extremely humbled and overwhelmed at the amount of support” he and his family have received.
“It really speaks to the character and quality of people that I get to work with that they would willingly shave their heads and alter their physical appearance just so I can see that they’ve got my back and support me in this struggle.”
Part of the dept’s. campaign, Hedge said, is to raise awareness about cancer in firefighters.
A University of Cincinnati study in 2005 found that a firefighter is 102 times more likely to contract some sort of respiratory or prostate/testicular cancer because of the carcinogens they are exposed to, Hedge told the Advocate.
“We are working at the state level right now, the Kentucky State Fire Commission, to get a cancer bill passed to help retired firefighters who contract cancer ... for it to be a work related issue.”
Hedge said in Texas a firefighter won a fight after three years in which a judge ultimately agreed the firefighter should be awarded workers’ compensation as his cancer is believed due to exposure from carcinogens on the job.
“It’s time to step up for the guys putting their lives on the line for us. We have to protect them when, even when they have already done their duty. The cancer rate is astronomical.”
For those interested in purchasing a T-shirt or wrist-band, you can call Hedge at 859-229-7330.
Above: Fire Chief Larry Potter, left, and Capt. Jonathan Oesterman, photo at right, took turn shaving each other’s heads last week during a head shaving party. Oesterman is undergoing chemo for stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Photos courtesy Montgomery Fire-EMS.
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