CHULA VISTA, Calif — A beloved firefighter from Chula Vista is in the hospital fighting cancer after being diagnosed with leukemia. CBS 8 spoke with Chula Vista Fire Chief Harry Muns about an upcoming blood and platelet drive in his honor.
“He puts others first, day in and day out,” said Chula Vista Fire Chief Harry Muns. “He’s the person that’s always present; he’s there for you. He’s just such a giving and caring person, and that’s who he is; that’s what he represents.”
Chief Muns has worked with Dangkhoa Nguyen for over 20 years, from his early days as a firefighter to now, as a Fire Captain and proudly married with four kids. When Nguyen was diagnosed with leukemia last month, Chief Muns couldn’t believe it.
“It was shocking, you know, he’s a young man, he’s in his early 40’s, and cancer is a horrible thing for anyone, but to be so young, it grabs your attention,” said Chief Muns. “He’s just an extreme fighter, and you know, he’s just so driven in so many ways that he’s doing everything he can to get to a better place.”
Captain Nguyen has been undergoing cancer treatment at UCSD Medical Center in La Jolla for about a month.
“I know it weighs on his mind day in and day out being confined to a hospital room, even though he knows he needs the treatment, but not being there for his family, not being there for his crew, and ultimately not being here to serve the community,” said Chief Muns.
Captain Nguyen has been a regular platelet donor for 20 years, giving blood once a month. It was his last platelet donation that led to the early detection of his leukemia, so in his honor, a blood and platelet drive is being held on Thursday, May 4th, at the American Red Cross in Kearny Mesa, 4229 Ponderosa Ave, San Diego, CA 92123, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- To donate platelets, please email Angela Miller at angela.miller@redcross.org. She will need your name, DOB, phone number, and email for each person wanting to donate.
- To donate blood, please go to redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code Nguyen.
Captain Nguyen’s treatment has involved chemotherapy, and if all goes well over the next four weeks, he’ll be released to outpatient treatment for an additional five months.
“We need more people like him, and I think the community is at a loss without him, and so the quicker that we get him back, you know, selfishly, I think the community will be a better place,” said Chief Muns. To help with mounting costs, family friends set up a Gofundme for Team Nguyen, so people can give back to the man who gave so much, and if you’d like a Team Nguyen T-shirt, click here.
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