Man gives firefighter brother the gift of life

LIBERTY, MO (KCTV) -

Jerry Bayton is a Kansas City, MO, firefighter. He's alsoa very lucky man.

In need of a stem cell transplant, Bayton is heading to New York,ready to receive stem cells provided by his brother and fellow KCMO firefighter,Gary.

"It's put a lot of things for me into perspective," Gary Bayton said. "It's easy for someone to say,just give yourself some shots, you're gonna feel bad. Go to New York, draw it out, and you're all done."

Easy to say, but not so easy to do, Gary Bayton discovered.

"When I stared on the self-injections, it was immediate, it was painful, it wore me out, and it put into perspective for me of some of what he was going through," he told KCTV5 News.

Jerry Bayton was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in June 2013, and has been battling the terrible disease for some time now.

While fighting cancer, his family has been struggling to make ends meet, making this an even tougher fight against the disease, andthe medical bills the disease is racking up.

"It's been difficult, but it's galvanized my family. It's changed my perspective on a lot of things. I don't sweat the little things any more," Jerry Bayton said. "I enjoy the little things. I enjoy my kids. I've always enjoyed my kids, but I enjoy them even more."

Jerry Bayton said he noticed so much more, that he appreciates fresh air and sunshine when he drives, the simple joys of life-joys this disease is trying to strip away.

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Man gives firefighter brother the gift of life