Mr. Brent Gibbard

Watson Haynes, Brent Gibbard, Service Center Manager, Department of Veterans Affairs/St. Petersburg, Riley Thomas Whitlock, Terry Burube, Asst. Director Department of Veteran Affairs/St. Petersburg, and Charlezette Whitlock
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Watson Haynes, Brent Gibbard, Service Center Manager, Department of Veterans Affairs/St.
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Brent Gibbard, Veterans Service Center Manager and Tom's boss said, "He is one of the best men I have ever worked with.
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"He is one of the most ethical people in government service", said Mr. Gibbard.

"The evidence doesn't come to a balance," said Brent Gibbard, the Veterans Service Center manager in St. Petersburg.

Scott "could have" contracted the cancer in Argentia, but it is "mostly likely" that he did not, Gibbard said.

Cancer takes its toll

Already in the advanced stages of the cancer, with tumors the size of baseballs, Scott said he initially filed his claim for service-connected disability and pension in 2002 but never heard back from the VA office in St. Petersburg.

In the meantime, he was suffering.He was undergoing six chemotherapy treatments, four of which took place five days a week, 24 hours a day.

Scott has had more than 50 radiation treatments and a stem cell transplant.

He began to look less and less like himself.In two months, he lost more than 40 pounds.

Once a hardy man with legs as thick and strong as telephone poles, he now relied on a walker and his 24-year-old son's arms for mobility.

Simple things became difficult.He couldn't sleep.He couldn't eat.He couldn't go to the bathroom.

With chemotherapy taking up all his time and his energy, he worked less and less as a Hobe Sound real estate agent.

Around that time in late 2002, the doctor told him that he had a year to live.

Meanwhile, the bills grew at home.

When he didn't get a response from the Veteran's Affairs office in St. Petersburg, he called Foley's office and asked for help.