North Shore rescuer, now cancer-free, eager to return to work

After fighting cancer for nearly a year, Jay Piggot is returning to his job at North Shore Rescue with a clean bill of health, and he can’t wait to get back to what he does best: saving other people’s lives.

“It’ll be a big day when I can go to that search and be able to do it,” said Piggot. “It’s going to be awesome.”

Last November, Piggot was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer affecting his liver, which doctors said was incurable. Two rounds of chemotherapy brought both mixed results and an emotional rollercoaster for Piggot and his family. Even worse was there was no health insurance to draw from for further treatment.

The search and rescue community heard Piggot’s story, and were moved to start a fundraising page, appropriately titled “Help Rescue the Rescuer,” which collected more than $100,000. The family was overwhelmed by the support.

“It shifted the direction for us,” said Denise Findlay, Piggot’s wife. “We went from being in a very dark, bleak place, feeling very alone, to feeling like the whole world was behind us. That really made us feel like we could conquer this.”

The money allowed Piggot’s family to find a surgeon who could take on the case. Six weeks ago, doctors removed his gallbladder and 85 per cent of his liver, and he’s now cancer-free. Needless to say, Piggot is overjoyed.

“You know, I get up in the morning with a smile on my face, and I’m dancing at night before I go to sleep, because I’m just so happy,” he said. “It’s just…it’s that exciting.”

Piggot will now have to go through a couple months of physiotherapy to get himself back into shape, before he can return to active duty in January.

“It’s really just a matter of him rebuilding his core, and getting himself into a place where he feels comfortable being out in the field, potentially dealing with a life-threatening situation,” said Curtis Jones, who works with Piggot at North Shore Rescue.

The family credits Piggot’s survival to finding the right team of caregivers, which may not have happened were it not for the community that stood by their side.

“I wish I could personally reach out and thank every single person that played a role in this,” said Findlay. “There’s thousands of people. Nothing was too small.”

Piggot hopes his story inspires others fighting the deadly disease, saying positive outlook, along with hope, is key to winning the battle.

“Never give up, never lose hope, fight hard, ask questions, always see the right people,” he said. “There’s always a way.”