Arizona
Arizona firefighter battling rare cancer, neurological issues
PRESCOTT VALLEY, AZ (AZFamily) — An Arizona firefighter dedicated to helping others is now fighting for his life. The father and husband is battling job-related cancer while also dealing with neurological issues that doctors believe could be linked to the cancer diagnosis.
Matt McFadden, 35, has worked for the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority in Prescott Valley for 14 years. Those who work alongside him call him “Smiley,” someone who always has a good attitude and a smile. But this past year has been challenging for him and his family.
Last May, the husband and father of two young girls started noticing he was slurring his words and had issues with his balance. McFadden went about his normal routine and months later got hurt during a fire training exercise. At the time, he was going to physical therapy, but doctors didn’t have any answers for the neurological symptoms.
He had a cancer screening done through his department, and that’s when doctors discovered he had testicular cancer. They believe it was caused from his career as a firefighter. The news only got worse.
“His last scan showed that it metastasized to his lungs,” his wife Kahley said.
McFadden is spending five days a week going through chemotherapy. Kahley says she never imagined this would happen so young.
“Every fire wife I know goes through the fact of we’re never really worried about fires, it honestly is cancer,” Kahley said. “I thought it could be decades from now, not this second.”
As McFadden fights that battle, doctors are still trying to find out exactly what the neurological issues are. They believe it could be a rare condition linked to the cancer.
“They say it’s attacking the brain,” Kahley said. “If it keeps getting worse and they can’t figure it out, it’s getting to the point where he won’t be able to walk on his own.”
Kahley has had to step up in many ways while operating as a single parent. Their youngest daughter has special needs and relies on a feeding tube, which means she needs constant care.
CAFMA Battalion Chief Rob Zazueta has spent many shifts at the fire station with McFadden.
“His absence is very obvious,” Zazueta said. “Everyone is concerned about him. Everyone is feeling he is not with us.”
He said the crew misses him immensely and wants McFadden to know their fire family is with him and his family every step of the way.
“It’s a surreal feeling because we know the statistics and we know the stories across the country of this kind of thing happening to somebody in the fire service. I don’t think we ever expect it to happen this close to home so when it does, there’s a lot of shock factor with it. A lot of moments of questioning why,” Zazueta said. “Matt we are keeping your seat warm my friend, we miss you. Stay strong, keep smiling and we are all here for you.”
Members of the fire department have created a GoFundMe to help Matt and his family.
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PAGE, AZ (AZFamily) — A person accused of making terroristic threats toward a northern Arizona medical facility was arrested Friday morning.
Just after 10:30 p.m., police received a report of a person calling the facility and threatening to kill staff and Native Americans, according to the Page Police Department.
Authorities said staff placed the facility on lockdown until officers identified the suspect and arrested them outside their home.
The suspect was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, threatening and intimidating, and making terroristic threats. Police have not publicly identified the person.
“The Page Police Department is grateful for and supports the medical staff’s decision to put the medical facility into lockdown until the suspect was arrested and the situation was rendered safe,” the department said in a Facebook post.
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In these four-round projections, the Arizona Cardinals don’t get a tackle until the fourth round.
We are just days away from the 2026 NFL draft, and that means some final mock drafts. What direction will the draft take the Arizona Cardinals?
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy put together a four-round mock draft for the Cardinals. They go defense early but rebuild the offense for 2026 and moving forward, including landing their potential franchise quarterback.
Cardinals 4-round mock draft
Here are the players in the first four rounds Popejoy projects for Arizona.
- Round 1: Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese
- Round 2: Alabama QB Ty Simpson
- Round 3: Clemson WR Antonio Williams
- Round 4: Florida OT Austin Barber
What we think of the picks
The Cardinals want to trade out of the third pick and draft a tackle, so not getting a tackle until Round 4 seems unlikely, although they did meet with Barber. They do have options at right tackle for 2026 already on the roster.
Reese would be a great pick if they don’t trade back, as they badly need pass-rushing help off the edge.
Drafting Simpson seems inevitable at this point, so it has to be in a mock draft, although the feeling is they will need to go up into Round 1 again to get him.
Williams has speed and is almost six feet tall, but he does have short arms.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Due to significant injuries to the CB position last year which includes a shoulder surgery for Terrion Arnold, the Lions CB position scored a 6/10 need on my Lions Defensive Draft Need Rankings. Thus, an early-round selection of a young, healthy prospect like Keith Abney would not come as a surprise. He enters the draft with very low medical concern level.
Here is the excerpt from my medical report on Keith Abney:
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Keith Abney, CB (21) – Arizona State
Projected round 2-3. #43 on Jeff Risdon board Feb 19.
Concern level 0/10
There is an isolated report of a hand injury but no corroborating information. Even if the hand injury is true, that’s of minimal to no long-term concern.
His availability in his final two seasons has been perfect. Overall, Abney appears to be medically clean and is at an excellent age.
He finished college with 6 INT and 21 PBU.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD
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