Pittsburgh firefighter’s legacy continues after 10-year battle with rare cancer

PITTSBURGH — Appendix cancer is a rare cancer that’s often only caught once it has spread.

Pittsburgh firefighter Randy Meyer battled it for 10 years.

During that time, Randy grew his hair out for a year while he was in remission, and then shaved all 12 inches of it off to donate to make wigs for kids with cancer.

“So while he was battling cancer, he wanted to help others, too. And that really was the basis of him,” said his widow, Stephanie Meyer.

In 2013, Randy started to notice some GI issues and a distension on his stomach, which was Atypical for the Pittsburgh Firefighter who, Stephanie says, was always active and fit.

At 28, Randy was diagnosed with rare appendix cancer.

“And it’s like the floor just drops out of you. Like ‘what do you do now?’” recalled Stephanie.

Get connected to AHN Dr. David Bartlett, that’s what. He’s been studying appendiceal cancer since the mid-90s.

That niche for appendix cancer has people all over the world seeking the Pittsburgh doctor’s expertise, and Randy was lucky to already be in the same city.

Dr. Bartlet says, like most people with appendix cancer, Randy’s cancer wasn’t caught until it had already spread beyond his appendix, throughout his stomach.

“So you end up with just hundreds and thousands of tumors coating the inside of the abdominal cavity,” said Dr. Bartlett, Chair of the AHN Cancer Institute.

“It was a full day of surgery of Dr. Bartlett scraping that cancer out,” Stephanie remembered.

That was Randy’s first of five similar surgeries, each time the cancer reappeared. Though they were big, Randy often battled them quietly.

“He never really shared the constant pain he was in,” said Stephanie. “He didn’t want anyone to really worry about that. He didn’t want anyone worrying about him.”

But he did want to live with no regrets.

Randy and Stephanie traveled to 17 countries. The high school sweethearts fell in love with Italy and learning about the wine.

When Randy wasn’t traveling, he was all about his job with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, working regular shifts, as much as he could. His brothers and sisters donated their PTO to him when he needed to be off.

“Gain your strength and ensure that you have a long enough life, “ said Stephanie. “It’s never long enough, though.”

“In some patients it becomes more aggressive over time like his did, and you just can’t keep up with it anymore,” recalled Dr. Bartlett.

Stephanie said, “I know Dr. Bartlett was hopeful that this last fifth surgery was going to stretch life out longer; we all were.”

But three months after his last surgery, Randy passed away in August 2023, ten years after his appendix cancer diagnosis.

“After Randy passed, it was my first heavenly birthday present to him,” said Stephanie, to create the Randy and Stephanie Meyer Spread Goodness Fund.

Stephanie set it up after the two of them talked during his last months about how they could keep helping people.

“So many patients travel from across the world to come and see him, so anything we could do to support, raise money,” said Stephanie.

Dr. Bartlett’s Cancer Research Fund is the beneficiary of the Charity Wine Gala that is coming up this Saturday, November 29.

The first fundraiser last year raised $10,000 for the Light of Life Rescue Mission.

“Make sure we’re doing our part in giving back,” said Stephanie. “Because as much as we were going through something, we know others are going through something too.”

Randy’s cancer was deemed “work-related” based on a Pennsylvania law that allows qualifying firefighters or their families to have their case reviewed.

Because they considered it a line-of-duty death, Randy was honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Colorado this year.

There is one being built outside the Pittsburgh Firefighters Union Hall to honor Pittsburgh Firefighters who have died in the line of duty. Randy Meyer’s name will be inscribed on that one once it is completed.

If you’d like to help the Randy and Stephanie Meyer Spread Goodness Fund: https://pittsburghfoundation.org/randy-stephanie-meyer

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