Community members, friends and family of David Broad gathered at Hickory Creek in Winamac Monday to honor his 40 years of service and dedication in EMS. Known as being a helper to the end, the time to accept help has been bittersweet for Broad and his family during his journey with terminal brain cancer.
Along with his certificate of appreciation given by the Emergency Medical Services of Indiana, Broad was flooded with stories of those he's helped, hugged, inspired, or loved over the past four decades.
His son, Timmy Broad, said his father's legacy of helping is one that won't be forgotten in Winamac anytime soon.
The illness has been a whirlwind for the Broad family. Neurologists confirmed a small tumor in May. Scheduling the tumor to be removed in July, things took a turn for the worst when additional scans discovered significant growth, and that new tumors had also developed in other regions of Broad's brain.
Broad was soon diagnosed with a Stage four astrocytoma brain tumor, commonly known as glioblastoma. No medical options now remain for Broad. Due to the tumors rapid growth, Broad was given, at most, a few weeks to live.
A man of helping, but never taking, it felt foreign for Broad to accept help from others. With accumulating medical bills and having to arrange last minute hospice care, however, the Broad's were left without a choice.
Last week, the need for financial assistance was at an all-time high when the family needed to provide nearly $4,000 within a 48 hour period to continue Broad's hospice care. With some help from the community that he poured his heart into, the Broad family was quickly able to raise $9,000.
Thankful and touched by community members Broad's main concern still continues to be about his family and taking care of his wife, Tammy. Dealing with mobility issues of her own, Broad had been his wife's main caretaker leading up to his illness. As daunting medical bills continue to stack up while inevitable changes are being made, those wanting to donate to the family can do so by visiting givesendgo.com/davebroad.
Wanting to keep positive and stay strong like his father wants, Timmy says the lessons and life lived by Dave Broad in the past 70 years will be passed down and continued for many generations to come.
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