Kirk Robinson, a local firefighter and lifelong Mercer Islander, is battling stage 4 cancer. But Robinson, a lieutenant with the Bothell Fire Department, doesn’t look - or act - like you might imagine, and now he’s fighting for a bigger cause.
In early 2017, Robinson felt a lump on his side, and was soon diagnosed with stage 3 (now, stage 4) cancer - metastatic melanoma.
“They call it ‘presumptive cancer,’” Robinson said. “The doctors presume I got it from absorbing toxins on the job.”
Firefighters are 9 percent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the average citizen, according to a recent study.
Robinson admits he was floored and frustrated at first, but after some time had passed, a pep talk from his father helped him transform his attitude from despair to certainty.
“I can’t explain why. I just know it," he said. "It came to me, and now, it’s entirely different approaching this whole thing – knowing you’re going to live, as opposed to wondering.”
Robinson says other than being smarter about prevention, he wouldn’t do anything differently if given the chance. But he says he now has the chance to make a bigger impact - improving safety for his fellow firefighters by shining a light on the high incidence of cancer in his field.
He’s seen major improvements in his career with extra bunker gear, general guidelines, and improved exhaust systems in fire stations. However, much more can be done, he says.
That’s why he finally went public after keeping his diagnosis hidden from all but his closest friends and family for over a year.
“The firefighters of the future are gonna be way safer than we are now,” Robinson said. “You know, one of my kids wants to be a firefighter, and I’m all for it.”
If you’d like to donate, visit Kirk’s GoFundMe page.
