Schaumburg firefighters support colleague in cancer fight

For most of Mike Solberg's career as a firefighter with the Schaumburg Fire Department, he has been battling brain cancer.

Throughout that fight, his firefighter colleagues have been beside him and behind him.

That support was evident Sunday at a benefit in Palatine for Solberg and his family.

Friends, as well as firefighters from throughout the Chicago area, attended the event at Durty Nellie's, listening to live music and watching the Chicago Bears play Washington.

“This is amazing,” said Maureen Solberg, Mike's wife. “I can't even put into words how supportive and amazing they are.”

Mike Solberg joined the Schaumburg department Oct. 12, 2012. Two weeks later, debilitating headaches led him to an emergency room, where a CT scan and an MRI revealed a brain tumor the size of an orange. Just days after that, he underwent surgery to remove a grade four brain cancer tumor, an advanced malignancy known as glioblastoma.

In just a few weeks, Solberg's world had undergone a stunning shift.

“I (had) the greatest job in the world and the greatest wife in the world and a (1-year-old daughter). And all of a sudden this hit. It changes everything,” he said.

The cancer went into remission, enabling Solberg to return to the department working in full capacity. But the tumors came back this June.

“From the very beginning, the department stepped right up and helped me out,” Solberg said. “I come in a couple days a week and do some of the behind-the-scenes stuff, reports and stuff like that.”

Former and current firefighters have been driving him to rehab, where he undergoes occupational and physical therapy to regain some of the movement he's lost on his left side since the tumors returned.

“My doctors are confident that I will get my movement back in my affected limbs,” he said.

The department has helped in other ways as well. While he was laid up, the village allowed firefighters to donate vacation time to Solberg to cover his hours.

“It's a very close-knit family,” Schaumburg Deputy Fire Chief William Spencer said. “We're in lock step and joined together to take care of each other's needs.”

Spencer said Solberg, who lives in Park Ridge, has fought the battle with dignity and courage.

“He comes in a couple of days a week to perform light duty. He never complains. He always has a smile on his face,” he said.

Maureen Solberg said it's been a tough five months for her family, but all the support they've received has been a big help.

“We take one day at a time,” she said. “Mike is a fighter. He's not giving up.”