Firefighters’ Widows Unite in New Mission After Tragic Loss

“It made me feel as if losing them wasn’t in vain,” says Emily Broderick, the wife of Mike Broderick.

NEED TO KNOW

• Mike Broderick, Malcolm Cortner, and Brian Stoaks, firefighters from Des Moines, Iowa, all passed away due to cancer over the course of 18 months.
• The widows, together with the local fire service, campaigned to state legislators to enact a law toexpand the disability benefitsfor firefighters to cover all types of cancer
• “We transformed our suffering into a meaningful goal,” says Emily Broderick, widow of Mike.

In December 2023, Emily Broderick, a resident of Des Moines, Iowa, shared the story of her husband, Mike Broderick, afirefighter with years of experience who had received a diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma, or cancer of the bile duct, several months prior.

He is truly the healthiest person I’ve ever known,” Emily said at the time. “Cancer was the farthest thing from our minds.

On January 14, 2024, Mikepassed away at 51 years old, abandoning Emily, his wife of 25 years, and their four children.

But he was not the only member of the Des Moines Fire Department to die from cancer: Two other firefighters,Brian Stoaks, 55, and Malcolm Cortner, 42, passed away within an 18-month period.

The widows — Emily, Kelly Stoaks, and Sheena Cortner — transformed their sorrow into movement by effectively advocating for Iowa.to expand disability benefitsfor firefighters to cover all types of cancer instead of a limited list, as was previously the law.

Their work combined with firefighters from Iowa resulted in a law that was signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in June.

It gave me the sense that losing them wasn’t in vain,” Emily says today, “that we managed to transform our sorrow into a meaningful cause. We were able to pass it on, so to speak.

Before the new law, only 14 types of cancer were included in Iowa’s presumptive health regulations, according to theInternational Association of Firefighters.

“It was very significant for him to personally act as an advocate and contact our lawmakers — to help them grasp on a personal level what it meant for him and our family,” says Sheena about her husband, Malcolm.

A firefighter with four years of experience was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2023 and passed away last March.

Kelli’s husband, Brian, passed away in 2023 following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis the previous year; he was not insured prior to the implementation of the new law.

So many people volunteered to take his shifts without hesitation,” she says. “Every single one of his shifts was covered when he was receiving chemotherapy, too unwell to work, or undergoing surgery and similar situations. He was genuinely moved by the selfless gesture of so many individuals in the fire department who did this for him.

Three women still carry the fresh memories of their husbands, who were committed first responders.

He was passionate about his work,” Emily says about Mike. “It wasn’t just a job for him. It was an honor. And he cherished the people he worked alongside.

Just prior to his passing, Mike was involved in the effort to push for legislation that would expand coverage for cancer. “I know it was his hope and wish that this would become law, so that no one would have to go through what he did because his cancer wasn’t covered,” Emily states. “Because he wouldn’t have wanted that on anyone else.”

Prior to becoming part of the Des Moines Fire Department, Malcolm worked with EMS services for over 15 years, according to Sheena, the mother of their three young children.

He was deeply committed to ensuring his firefighter family was looked after,” she says regarding Malcolm’s last desires. “That truly provided him with a feeling of comfort. Just knowing that, despite everything, everything would be alright.

Kelli mentions that Brian followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a firefighter and worked in Des Moines for 27 years. The couple has two adult children, one of whom is also a firefighter.

He enjoyed operating the firetruck,” she says about Brian, “and was heartbroken on the day he learned he would no longer be able to perform his job effectively.

She remembers not being able to say goodbye to Brian as he took his final breath. “We weren’t ready for it to be the end,” Kelli says. “We believed we had more time, and Brian was taken to the hospital on a Friday morning and then never spoke again.”

So we never had the chance to say goodbye, which is really difficult,” his wife added. “We didn’t get to have some of the conversations that others were able to have and were lucky to experience.

According to the American Cancer SocietyFirefighters “may be exposed to various known and suspected carcinogens during their job,” including those from fires; chemicals present in firefighting gear; and exhaust fumes from vehicles at fire stations and incident sites.

Nevertheless, the organization has mentioned that it is challenging to establish whether firefighting leads to cancer among first responders because of factors like the length of service, work hours, and the kinds of protective gear utilized. Cancer may require many years to manifest.

Three women who lost their husbands collaborated with the Des Moines Iowa Professional Firefighters Local 4 to persuade Iowa lawmakers to broaden cancer benefits for the state’s firefighters.

The task included discussing with officials and developing avideowhich featured conversations with local firefighters who suffer from cancer.

We began to realize that some of these cancers weren’t included,” says firefighter and Local 4 president Joe Van Haalen, “but there was definitely a strong possibility that we were being exposed to this [cancer] through our work.

This isn’t about political parties,” notes Van Haalen, who was familiar with Mike, Brian, and Malcolm. “It’s about preserving the lives of those who are responding to the call every single day.

Although it was sometimes a tough lift,” he says, “it was also very straightforward because of these people and their spouses. These three individuals were among the finest you’ve ever encountered. I can’t even start to describe how exceptional these guys were and what they meant to the Des Moines Fire Department.

Assisted as well by the work of firefighter Local 4 Secretary Aaron Johnson, firefighter Jason Mason, and others,the bill finally passedin the Iowa House and Senate during April 2025.

Two months afterward, Gov. Reynoldssigned the billat a gathering in Des Moines.

All the feelings were extremely intense,” says Sheena, who had only recently lost Malcolm three months prior to the signing event. “And being able to feel as if his passing hadn’t been in vain, as if we’ve managed to accomplish something — it was very significant.

Three women acknowledge their part in improving the future for other Iowa firefighters and their families through the new legislation.

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There will never be closure from losing my husband at the age of 51,” Emily states. “It brought me a feeling of calm to realize that no family will have to experience what some families endured.

At the signing event, Emily states, “The only thought I had was that together, the firefighters looked after Sheena, Kelli, and me just as much as I believe the three of us felt we were looking after them. We worked as a team, supported each other, and made this a law.”

I never imagined I’d be heading to the Capitol and telling a personal story,” Kelli says. “They [the firefighting community] were there for Brian, and I needed to be there for them.

And now,” she continues, “with my son being part of the fire family, I felt I had to do it for him too… I understand that we made a significant impact on so many people.

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