News 3 investigates rate of cancer diagnosis amongst firefighters

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Deborah Gaudet spent 26 years living out her passion as a Virginia Beach firefighter before retiring in 2021.

“We became a huge family,” Gaudet told News 3.

But in 2011, she got word that she was living with something else: breast cancer.

“It was terrifying. Naturally, not something I was expecting at all,” Gaudet said. “It was like, ‘Oh no, not me.’ And, turned out it was me.”

She found out from her doctor her diagnosis stemmed from her time on the front lines.

She told News 3 that the update gave her relief.

Eventually, she made the decision to share her story and was determined to help others in uniform.

“I want these guys to know what this is like, and I don't want them to have to go through it too,” Gaudet said.

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