GUARD OF HONOUR
Firefighter who died of brain cancer given heart-wrenching final escort through hospital on way to donate his organs
South Metro Fire Rescue service said that the dad-of-four was "saving lives even after his last breath"
A HEARTBREAKING video has emerged of a hero firefighter being escorted through the halls of a hospital by his pregnant wife and devasted colleagues en route to donating his organs.
Cody Mooney, 31, passed away as a result of an aggressive brain tumour.
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The South Metro Fire Rescue service, in Colorado, shared the video on Twitter saying that the dad-of-four was "saving lives even after his last breath".
The heart-wrenching footage shows two firefighters leading Cody's procession through the halls of Littleton Adventist Hospital, which were lined with supporters and hospital staff.
His wife, Emily, held onto to his bedside. She's expecting to give birth later this month.
Cory, a firefighter of five years, was first diagnosed with a tumour in June 2017, and underwent surgery two weeks ago but suffered complications.
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His family and friends had been trying to raise money to fund his treatment and are now asking for help in the wake of his death.
"In June 2017, we experienced God working in crazy ways that lead us to the finding and diagnosis of a tumor growing in Cody’s brain stem," Emily previously wrote on Cory's.
"Due to the location, the risk of surgery and over a 60 per cent chance of post-op deficit, we chose together as a family to wait and monitor things, as it was not affecting his quality of life or ability to work at the time.
"Living with the reality of a tumor growing in your brain is a weird thing to balance emotionally. But we feel extremely grateful for this time together as a family, living and enjoying life so intentionally for any amount of time that God would give us.
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Symptoms of brain cancer
Around 11,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour every year in the UK.
There are over 130 different types of brain tumour and symptoms can differ according to which one you have.
The main signs include:
- headaches (can't be managed by painkillers but may feel better when you stand up)
- changes in vision (blurred or a fleeting loss of vision)
- nausea (may be worse in the morning or if you suddenly change position)
- seizures (fits)
- drowsiness (tends to kick in later on as the tumour grows)
- impairment of normal brain function
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"It has helped us to accept and prepare as much as possible for the season we currently find ourselves in."
She said that since Christmas, Cory had started to develop new symptoms with tests confirming that his tumour had grown by 50 per cent.
Cody had surgery on 13 February to remove part of his skull in a bid to cut out the tumour, which may have caused him to hemorrhage if left untreated.
After surgery, however, Cody had a surgical site infection that caused an aneurysm in his brain.
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That, in turn, triggered a stroke and despite two emergency surgeries, Cory passed away.
"The amount of people we've seen coming through the hospital is a testament to his character and who he was," fellow firefighter Sam Phelps told .
"He was the sole provider for his family."
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His dad, Kevin, told the network that his son "made us all better people by what he did and how he lived.
"He was the kind of guy where if you showed up, he was your friend from the moment you met him".
Cory, an organ donator, was the breadwinner of his family, and now loved ones are now hoping for a financial miracle.
If you'd like to help, you can donate .
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