'My Hero': Community Supports Firefighter, 33, With Brain Cancer

LINDENHURST, NY — A community is coming together to help a beloved volunteer firefighter and father who was diagnosed with Stage 4 of a rare brain cancer.

Brian Saphire, 33, of Lindenhurst, first realized something was wrong in October after experiencing a migraine for several days. But what he thought would be a checkup for a headache turned out to change the trajectory of his life.

After a visit to the emergency room, doctors discovered a rare tumor in the pineal region of Saphire’s brain. They performed an emergency life-saving surgery to drain spinal fluid that had built up. He underwent another surgery two weeks later.

“They went inside my brain, removed a piece of my skull and took out 98 percent of the tumor,” he said.

Four weeks after his first visit to the emergency room, Saphire was diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma — an aggressive form of brain cancer — making him permanently disabled and unable to work. Only 81 adults per year are diagnosed with this kind of tumor, Saphire said, and survival rates are generally low.

“There's really no way of tracing this tumor,” he said. “I'm one of those lucky people.”

At the time of his emergency surgery, Saphire was already facing hardships. Prior to Covid, he worked as a stagehand in the entertainment industry, in addition being a volunteer firefighter with the Lindenhurst Fire Department for several years.

When the pandemic hit, Saphire was quickly placed out of work. Since he was the provider for his wife Bridget and their 8-month-old daughter, Bailey Grace, the financial burden forced them to move in with his mother-in-law in Malverne.

Still, that didn’t stop him from joining Malverne Volunteer Fire Department, to continue helping others.

“I personally believe I was put on this earth to help people out,” said Saphire. “I wasn't put on this earth to get help from people. I'm never gonna change.”

He had only recently gotten his job back when his migraines occurred, he said.

Meghan Saphire, his younger sister, felt compelled to help by creating a GoFundMe fundraiser.

“I knew that this was just a financial burden that was gonna completely shake his nuclear family,” she said.

Meghan told Patch she was heartbroken when learning about her brother’s diagnosis. The siblings come from a family of six kids, but she always considered him her best friend.

Earlier this year, Meghan discovered she was pregnant with her son at the same time as Bridget was pregnant with their daughter. Saphire told Patch that he hasn’t cried once since his diagnosis. But when Megan told him about her pregnancy, he cried tears of joy, at the thought they could raise their kids together.

“Literally within a week we were talking about how we should buy homes in the same town, so our kids can go to school together,” said Meghan. “A week later, he was signing papers — if he wants to be ‘a do not resuscitate’ or not.”

When Hurricane Sandy hit, Meghan said their town experienced flooding, and Saphire was “out all night” fighting fires. The next morning, Saphire cooked and distributed chili for residents.

“That kind of just sums up to me how he is as a person. His main priority is always serving others in his community,” she said. “He's just my hero.”

In a short amount of time, Meghan’s GoFundMe surpassed its goal of $50,000 by receiving more than $60,000.

Kevin Erbe, who worked alongside Saphire at Lindenhurst Fire Department for seven years, said he would always jump on an emergency call, whether he was in the firehouse or off-duty.

“He's the most selfless person you'll ever meet,” said Erbe. “ He's just one of those people that you meet that really care for other people more than themselves. And it's just so genuine — what you see is what you get.”

About a year ago, Erbe contracted coronavirus and suffered congestive heart failure. Saphire created a GoFundMe for Erbe, even though he was embarrassed about receiving help from others.

“I messaged him and said, ‘I'm not deleting it,” Saphire told Patch. “It's Christmastime. Put food on the table, buy gifts for your daughter — just anything that helps you out.”

Saphire told Patch he’s been especially grateful for the support of the Malverne Fire Department who have provided him with rides to doctors' appointments, setting up a meal train, and keeping his spirits high during such a challenging time.

The help, he said, is something he’d never ask for.

“If you need a ride to a mechanic, you call me up, I'll drive you to the mechanic. But if I need a ride to the mechanic, I'll walk,” said Saphire. “I've stopped for multiple accidents on parkways to help people out. It's just who I am.”

Saphire recently started his first round of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. His goal, he said, is to beat his cancer by staying positive.

“My motivation is my wife. My motivation is my baby girl. My motivation is the rest of my family friends,” he said. “I’ve got to keep pushing forward and I'm going to keep pushing forward.”