VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach community has rallied together to support a man who puts his life on the line to serve others.
Virginia Beach firefighter Matt Gallina is currently battling cancer as fiercely as he fights flames.
Gallina found out he has advanced esophageal cancer after the fire department held an early-detection cancer screening. He's currently undergoing chemo and immunotherapy and will have to travel to Texas for surgery soon.
To help ease the financial burden on him and his family, "Pups and Pints" held a fundraiser Friday night. All the proceeds from the event were donated to Gallina's family.
"It's something that you have to accept. There's nothing you can do about, so at this point all you can do is fight," said Michelle Gallina, the wife of Matt Gallina.
She added that "in a world that's kind of harsh sometimes, just having that support in the community is reassuring."
Cancer is the leading cause of death for firefighters. According to the CDC, it's likely due to their exposure to smoke and hazardous chemicals.
13News Now has extensively covered how cancer is impacting local firefighters.
There is also a GoFundMe page raising money to help Gallina's family during this time.