PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — A former sheriff’s deputy battling Stage 4 cancer is getting some new found hope and a new roof over his head.
After Hurricane Ian destroyed their roof, Brian Putman and his family didn’t know what to do. But a Port Charlotte roofing company is stepping up to help pay it forward for the former deputy and his family.
"This is the farthest I’ve been out of the house in over a week.”
For Brian Putman, getting out of his house is a rarity.
"The cancer is eating me away and I’m doing what I can to get thru it," he says. "Simple tasks are tough.”
Brian has Stage 4 brain and bone cancer. His condition forced him to retire early from his position with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, where he was on the force for 22 years.
"Cancer got so bad and I had to have chemo. I just couldn’t work through it anymore. The radiation I was good with but chemo was just unreal.”
To make matters worse, the roof of his home was damaged by Hurricane Ian.
"People were like, ‘Yeah we can do this, we can do that’ but then it comes to financing," said Putman. "My finances took a hit because after I retired, I didn’t realize you had to go six months without a paycheck.”
That was until one local roofing company heard Brian’s story.
“My partner, Derek, and I were both just like, ‘We have to do something,’" said Merinda Gabr, with Vogel Roofing. "There has to be something we can do.”
So Vogel Roofing connected with Brian.
“We got to learn more about his story and everyone on the team has been affected by his situation, someway, somehow personally so we really felt compelled to help him,” said Hannah Vogel.
They’ve started a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of his roof replacement, as well as connecting with suppliers for donations. Giving Brian some peace of mind.
“I mean, I hate to say it like this but, if something like the worse were to happen, at least this is the one thing I wouldn’t have to worry about it," he said. "Leaving them the burden of trying to get this done.”
It’s also changing his mindset. Something, he thinks, everyone can learn.
"Don’t be defined by the limitations that get put on you. Make the most you can out of them and I think, even with cancer, you have to move forward. The minute you stop and grovel- that’s when your life ends. Cancer won’t define you and it won’t define me.”
