Texas Mesothelioma Victim Promoted to Fire Chief

A Beaumont man was promoted to Fire Chief, but was unable to receive his own collar brass because he was in the hospital … again.

Michelle Chesser accepted it instead since her husband, David Chesser, was back in the hospital due to complications with a dangerous surgery. David has mesothelioma, and had recently undergone a procedure to remove his appendix, spleen, and part of his pancreas, as well as a course of chemotherapy

According to Blair Ortmann at the Beaumont Enterprise, David wanted very badly to attend the ceremony where he was to be promoted to Fire Chief after 35 years of service. However, David and Michelle are keeping positive, hoping that this “rollercoaster… is just a bump in the road.”

Mesothelioma is a very aggressive cancer that has been linked to asbestos exposure. Firefighters are routinely exposed to asbestos when fibers form the mineral are released into the air during a fire. Even with heroic surgeries, mesothelioma is usually fatal within about 2 years of diagnosis.