FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Todd Brook, a Fort Worth firefighter, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October and is receiving medical care at his home in Glen Rose, Texas. Medical professionals initially gave him a survival prognosis of three to six months.
Jennifer Brook, his wife of 16 years, was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease before her husband's cancer diagnosis and requires a kidney transplant. Her current kidney function is at 22%, and she will become eligible for transplant consideration when it declines to 20%. Medical conditions prevent Brook from serving as a kidney donor for her.
She described his current condition, saying, "He can't talk. He can't open his eyes. He responds some, he'll squeeze a hand or lift an eyebrow." Regarding her own health, she said, "I'm optimistic that God will find me a kidney."
The Brooks family encourages the public to register as living kidney donors through the Living-Donor Transplant program at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. An estimated 90,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a kidney transplant, with the standard waiting period for a deceased donor ranging from three to seven years. Approximately 13 people in the U.S. die each day while waiting for an organ transplant, according to government data.
She stated that she believes her husband's cancer is related to his 30-year career as a firefighter.