Dozens of volunteers showed up Tuesday morning in Lakeside to tear down and replace a 40-year-old roof, all for a San Diego firefighter and his wife, who is fighting stage 4 breast cancer.
Krissy Basham was 39 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 4 triple-negative breast cancer in February 2024, the most aggressive form of the disease.
“Cancer just doesn’t care,” Krissy Basham said.
But Firefighter Aid and San Diego Fire Relief Association and the East County Posse do.
Firefighter Aid is a nonprofit made up of local firefighters who rally around their own when facing hardship. The East County Posse is a group of volunteer contractors and skilled tradespeople who donate their time and tools to families in need.
“We’re family, on the job or off the job. We show up,” said Joe Kennedy, Firefighter Aid and San Diego Fire Relief Association President.
The Bashams bought their Lakeside home in 2017, knowing it needed a new roof. But with chemo every Monday and three doctor appointments every week, Krissy Basham said the repair kept getting pushed aside.
“My feel-good days are very limited, and we’re trying to spend that time making family memories,” she said. “As much as we needed the roof, it wasn’t the priority for our time.”
So Firefighter Aid made it their priority.
The nonprofit partnered with the East County Posse to organize Tuesday’s project. All supplies, materials and labor were donated, with shingles provided by GAF and distributed locally by QXO, and installation handled by Extreme Roofing.
“It was just like a partnership made in heaven,” said Kennedy.
For Chris and Krissy Basham and their two teenage sons, the new roof is more than a home repair. It is proof that good exists, even in the hardest seasons.
“I want them to see the good in the world, amidst the tragedy,” Krissy Basham said. “With their mom having terminal cancer, it could be really easy to take on a very negative aspect of life. We try to point out all the blessings and all the good in the world.”