Colo. Fire Fighter's Organ Donation 'Honor Walk' Brings Awareness

LITTLETON, CO – The final life-saving act performed by South Metro Firefighter Cody Mooney was observed by family and friends and the staff of Littleton Hospital Saturday night. On his final "honor walk," the firefighter's body was wheeled through the hospital to the organ donation facility, with staffers lining the halls of the hospital.

Mooney, 31, lost his battle with an aggressive brain-stem cancer, and his family honored his wishes to become an organ donor, South Metro Fire Rescue said. Cody's body was wheeled to perform his last "rescue" accompanied by an honor guard. Tears of sadness and loss from his family and colleagues mingled with tears of joy from loved ones of the patient who was receiving his organs.

Best friend and fellow-firefighter, Sam Kelsey, has started an online GoFundMe fundraiser for Mooney's pregnant widow, Emily, and the couple's four children.

Doctors diagnosed a tumor on Mooney's brain stem in June of 2017, an online letter from Emily Mooney said. "Due to the location, the risk of surgery and over a 60% 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," she said.

But time ran out, and in February, doctors said he had to have surgery. Meanwhile, the family hoped that their fifth child, a girl, would not be diagnosed with a rare complication that caused her older sister to require a planned surgery later in the spring, Emily Mooney wrote.

"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," Emily Mooney wrote.

The fund has raised almost $100,000 of $250,000 to help pay hospital bills and expenses for the family going on. Cody Mooney was the sole provider for the family, Kelsey wrote.

Watch the hospital's "honor walk" as firefighter Cody Mooney's body is brought to the organ donation center:

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