The City of Mesquite is in mourning after the loss of one of its own, Mesquite Firefighter Jody McPherson, at the age of 47. McPherson passed away on the evening of Wednesday. The firefighter had been combating a rare and fatal brain disorder known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), according to the City of Mesquite, Texas.
McPherson died peacefully at the Azalea Trail Nursing Home in Grand Saline, Texas, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife Brandi, son Trey, and two daughters, Brooklyn and Blair. McPherson had been a dedicated member of the Mesquite Fire Department since 2006, most recently serving at Fire Station 3 before his illness took hold.
Mesquite Fire Chief Rusty Wilson expressed the communal grief, stating, "We express our deepest sympathy to the McPherson family as we grieve with them over the loss of our brother firefighter." He went on to ask the community for prayers for all those affected by this tragedy, as per the City of Mesquite, Texas.
