Virginia Beach firefighter dies of esophageal cancer

Master firefighter Matthew Gallina passed away earlier Wednesday afternoon, according to the Virginia Beach Fire Department.

Gallina had been a firefighter for over 20 years, the VBFD said.

News 3 reported back in January that Gallina was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. VBFD said in its post that his passing was due to occupational cancer, which relates to cancers caused by chemical exposure and other factors in the workplace, according to the CDC.

Watch: Virginia Beach firefighter's wife stresses importance of annual cancer screenings

Gallina was presumed to have cancer after taking the Galleri Test, a state-of-the-art, early detection, blood test in 2023.

“He was in excellent shape, worked out every day,” Michelle Gallina told News 3 earlier this year. "So it definitely was a huge impact when we found out there was something brewing."

After Matthew's death, Michelle shared a post on Facebook.

"For those of you who knew him he was funny, sarcastic, loyal and loving!" she wrote. "He was the BEST father to our 3 children. I keep thinking I'll hear his voice in the house, but I don't."

She went on to say his cancer was caused by chronic hazardous exposure during his employment with the VBFD.

"I will fight with everything I have to improve early cancer screening, to improve awareness and to save the lives of those who serve us daily," she said.

A GoFundMe was set up in support of Gallina and his family.

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