Orlando family mourns loss of beloved wife, mom, daughter, firefighter following cancer battle

ORLANDO, Fla. - An Orlando family is navigating a path forward after a beloved wife, mother, and firefighter passed away from cancer.

Experts say rare and aggressive cancers like the one Amanda Adams had are becoming more common in firefighters. The State of Florida is taking steps to protect families affected by these diseases.

Adams’ mother says since her daughter's passing, many people have shared incredible stories about her. They describe how she’d light up a room, how hardworking she was, how faithful, and how strong-willed. This is a woman who ran a marathon a week after her first chemo treatment and completed a 5K three weeks before she died.

Her colleagues called her "Commanda" at work, a testament to her leadership and strength. Her mother, Terry Bemiss, says Amanda was a fighter right up until the end.

"Strong," Bemiss said. "My girl was strong."

Amanda Adams came from a firefighting family. Her brother, stepdad, and husband were all firefighters. She began her career as a dispatcher, answering 911 calls, but quickly realized she was on the wrong side of the phone.

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"She just always had that spirit of protection in her," said Bemiss. "So it really didn't surprise me when she became a firefighter."

However, 21 months ago, Amanda developed an extremely rare form of cancer called dedifferentiated liposarcoma.

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) says the increasing prevalence of chemicals that burn hotter, faster, and with more toxins is leading to more cases of cancers like Amanda's. Dr. Dan Whu, the IAFF’s Chief Medical Officer, noted the alarming trends.

"We're seeing not only an increased incidence and prevalence," said Dr. Whu, "but also an earlier onset and more aggressive cancer courses and more aggressive cancer types."

Dr. Whu emphasized that steps can be taken to increase safety and reduce firefighters' exposure to harmful materials through the gear they use or the protocols they follow.

"We know our job is dangerous. We signed up to do it," said Dr. Whu, a retired firefighter. "But what we didn’t sign up to do is to be unnecessarily exposed to unnecessary carcinogens."

A new Florida law passed in May means that the medical leave and benefits first responders can take if they develop cancer will be treated the same as any other work-related injury. Since Adams’ cancer developed in her kidneys, it fell under the Firefighters’ Presumptive Cancer law, which the State of Florida passed in 2019.

This law ensured that she received medical benefits from the state and the Orlando Fire Department, and her family would keep her pension.

"When we left that hearing that day, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, ‘Okay, now I know my family's taken care of,’" said Bemiss. "It was almost like she had been holding her breath all that time, and then she let her breath go. A month later, she was gone."

Adams leaves behind a husband and a six-year-old daughter. Her pension offers her a chance to protect her family one last time.

"Her whole mission was to tell people about Jesus, love her family, love her fire department, love her friends," Bemiss said tearfully. "She was such a gift."

There’s still more work to be done. The IAFF is working to eliminate synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from firefighting gear and recommends that firefight