Everyday for the past year and a half, Pam Venuti has been fighting to make a point for her brother, who as a volunteer firefighter, does not receive the same health coverage as his full-time collegues.

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Almost every day for the last year and half, Pam Venuti, of Pittsford, has been trying to make a point.

"I've never sat down and added it all up. People are looking at it, what do you want them to see? I want them to see the differences between the two," said Venuti.

In New York State health benefits for paid professional firefighters cover ten different types of cancer. Volunteers are only covered for one.

“These volunteers are putting their lives on the line and getting nothing for doing this. They're doing this out of the kindness of their hearts for their communities,” said Venuti.

That's something Pam Venuti knows all too well.

"I'll be doing this until my dying day. Until I can't do this anymore," said Pam’s brother Matt Foe.

Matt Foe, spent more than 20 years serving as a volunteer firefighter in Geneva. He spent eight of them fighting brain cancer and inequities in health care coverage between professionals and volunteers.

"That’s when Matt came into my office and asked for assistance and said why? And I said there is no good reason,” said Senator Michael Nozzolio of Fayette.

State Senator Mike Nozzolio was convinced that if a volunteer's illness is in anyway job related, he or she should be given the same coverage as their full-time colleagues.

"Because the statute didn’t provide that like benefit, then, we find ourselves hamstring and happy helping Matt. The only alternative was to change the law and provide additional legislation. That’s what we’ve done,” said Nozzolio.

Nozzolio, along with the firemen's association of the state of New York, drafted a bill that would make the changes matt and his family asked for. Sponsored in the assembly by minority leader Brian Kolb, Nozzolio hopes the measure will be passed this year.

"Matt’s problem with a bureaucracy should be fixed for future generations of volunteers so that they can be treated in the way that they should be treated,” said Nozzolio.

It's a fight Nozzolio and Pam Venuti are trying to win in Matt's memory.

"I promised him,” said Venuti.
Last fall matt's health faded. He held on long enough to get married. Two weeks ago he passed away at the age of 40.

"He gave so much to the community," said Venuti.

Pam says it's time to give back.

Venuti said, "I'm going to be positive and say 100 percent. Because I think it's going to happen.”