Ideal volunteer firefighter, Shawn Toth, suffers from Pancreatic Divisum, a painful genetic disease that eats away at the pancreas and surrounding organs. In two weeks Shawn will undergo surgery only 11 percent of patients survive. Without it, he has about three months to live.

"I get chronic Pancreatitis every two days and I require a high narcotic just to keep the pain down. I require medicine to keep nausea down. I have severe weight loss, liver damage, diabetes, Mellitus. I also have neuropathy in my hands and feet. I can't feel anything. It's very important to get through this surgery and get it done so I don't have the pain and I can get at least five to 10 good quality years of my life left.

I look forward to my children. I have a daughter Desire, she's nine, and Autumn, who just turned six, and they're two of the most beautiful girls I could ask for and I love them to death. I want to live for them.

I also know that my friends here at the fire department will be here if God forbid something happens to me and it's just an amazing thing to have friends like this that are willing to do something like this for you and ask for nothing in return.

I feel confident that I'm going to get through the surgery and I'm looking forward to talking to you again when I get through it." said Toth.

During the surgery, Shawn needs at least 40 pints of blood. The Ideal Fire Department is holding a blood drive the day of Shawn's surgery, Wednesday, February 9th, from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m. and the Red Cross says any blood donated that day will go to him.