North Hampton firefighter’s wife battling breast cancer: Here’s how you can help

NORTH HAMPTON — For years, members of the North Hampton Fire Department donned special shirts every October signifying the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Little did they know they’d soon be supporting a campaign to help one of their own.

Two months ago, the department learned Brianne Parent, wife of 15-year veteran firefighter and EMT Jeremy Parent, was diagnosed with breast cancer. At only 40 years old and the mother of four young children ages 3 to 14, they knew Brianne and family had a long and challenging journey ahead. Like first responders everywhere, they rushed to help.

“I think everyone knows someone who’s had breast cancer,” said North Hampton Deputy Fire Chief Mark Cook.

Even Jeremy Parent was surprised at the degree to which his colleagues would respond.

“I came into work one day in June for an overtime shift and all the guys were wearing special T-shirts, like the ones we always wear in October,” Parent said.

Cook and Fire Chief Jason Lajoie decided it would be a good thing for the department to show its strong support of the Parent family by wearing special shirts every Wednesday. The blue T-shirts have pink lettering, Cook said, and the well-recognized pink breast cancer ribbon logo is personalized for the cause.

Actually, according to Cook, these T-shirts carry a patch created just to support the Parent family. Those patches are for sale at the North Hampton Fire Station for $10, and soon the T-shirts will also be available, Cook said, at the price of $20.

All the money raised will go to help defray the inevitable mounting costs involved when a family must fight a life-threatening disease, Cook said.

Along with things not covered by insurance, there’s the “transportation costs of going to and from doctor’s visits and medical treatments,” Cook said, and with today’s gasoline prices, that can dig deep into a family’s budget.

According to Jeremy Parent, Brianne is currently undergoing four months of chemotherapy. That will be followed by surgery, and after she heals, weeks of daily radiation treatment. All of it is added to the anxiety and stress that goes along with a cancer diagnosis.

Presently, Brianne and Jeremy's mothers are filling in with the kids while Jeremy takes his wife to her chemotherapy treatments. But although the drugs work to kill off malignant cancer cells, they can also leave patients with some nasty side-effects, like extreme fatigue and other discomfort.

“One of my major concerns is on days she’s feeling really exhausted, if I have to work, what happens about meals for the kids,” Parent said. “But thankfully, some of the firefighters wives have been making meals for us and dropping them off. The wives of firefighters in other communities have helped out, too.”

Cook said the “meal train” is being organized in-house and has been working well. But there may be other normal daily activities that need tending to during her treatment, and that’s when the additional money raised from the sale of the patches and T-shirts should help.

According to Parent, he’s very grateful for the concern shown by members of his department and the firefighting community, and he’s humbled by the support he and his family are receiving.

“I can’t speak highly enough of everyone working with me,” Parent said. “They’ve been absolutely amazing.”

Those who’d like to buy and wear a patch or T-shirt in support of the Parent family can drop by the North Hampton Fire Station, located until Aug. 10 at 235 Atlantic Ave, in North Hampton. After that, the station will be moving to its temporary location at 34 Lafayette Road in North Hampton, while the town’s new public safety building is under construction.

You can also email Cook at mcook@northhampton-nh.gov, or call the station at 603-964-5500.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: North Hampton firefighter’s wife battling breast cancer: Here's how you can help