SACRAMENTO, Calif — The community is coming together to support the family of a fallen Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighter and paramedic who died last week after a battle with twice occurring job-related cancer.
32-year-old Anthony Benelisha leaves behind his wife and four-year-old daughter.
"He was many things. He was a father, number one, to his daughter Eleanor, he was a family man number two, and he was also a good fireman. All of the above, he was excellent at and he took a lot of pride in every single one of those aspects," said Sacramento Metropolitan Firefighter/Paramedic Kyle Santuccio, who knew Anthony for about a decade.
He said the two worked together at an ambulance company on the Northern California coast and then worked with each other again at Sacramento Metro Fire. Anthony joined the team in 2021.
"He really tried to portray what a good fireman should be — always teaching classes, always helping out others," Santuccio said.
During his career, Anthony earned numerous awards and recognition, including Firefighter of the Year.
Sacramento Metro Fire said he even continued to work hard despite ongoing chemotherapy. Anthony battled cancer for about five years.
Santuccio said Anthony's most important job was being a father to his little girl.
"He was always there for her, always wanted to make sure that he was there for the family," Santuccio said.
The Sacramento Area Firefighters Benevolent Fund created a GoFundeMe page for a memorial and to help take care of his wife and daughter. The community has come together to support the family through donations.
"Seeing the amount of support coming for Anthony is nothing short of incredible, and it makes me proud to work at a department like this, number one, and that I can actually call him a friend," Santuccio said.
If you'd like to help, click here to visit the GoFundMe page.
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