While walking down the halls of the Plano fire station, you can feel the presence of the many men and women who have served the community. Among them is Matthew Gonzales, the first responder of the month, who has been with the Plano Fire Department since 2017. Gonzales has overcome challenges to reach where he is today: helping connect the community with fire prevention programs.
Growing up, Matthew Gonzales knew he needed a job that would keep him active. After all, he loved boxing and competing in Spartan races. Joining the fire department was his dream. But one day, after finishing a shift, he coughed up blood.
A trip to the ER revealed a diagnosis of bone cancer. In just a few months, the tumor grew to the size of a grapefruit. Gonzales fought hard, enduring grueling surgeries and relentless physical therapy. His desire to return home and to the department kept him going. After only a week in the hospital, his doctors told him that if he could walk three laps, he’d be cleared to go home.
“And then I walked around 10 times, and they were like, ‘Okay! We get the point,’” Gonzales recalls.
That determination defines Gonzales: he works hard to accomplish his goals. However, he knew he couldn’t rejoin his peers in the field—losing an entire lung during surgery meant he couldn’t meet the physical demands of firefighting.
“If that had happened to me, I would’ve given up, but he didn’t give up!” says Marco Bauelas, Gonzales’s colleague and longtime friend.
Rather than leave the department, Gonzales joined the Community Outreach & Education team. Each day, he takes on new responsibilities to support the department and the community. Whether running the Explorers program, which introduces young people to firefighting, or updating CPR and fire extinguisher training, Gonzales continues to make a difference.
“If that had happened to me, I would’ve given up, but he didn’t!”- Marco Bauelas, colleague