St. Jude Patient Lives Out His Dream Of Becoming A Police Officer

A short while ago I was privileged enough to share the story of a very special St. Jude patient named Colin Hayward-Toland. While we were down touring St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis a few weeks ago, we spoke with Colin's father Ian, who told us all about his son Colin.

Colin was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was just two years old. Colin's family traveled to plenty of different hospitals seeking treatment, and eventually wound up at St. Jude.

The big thing about Colin was that he used to say that he “just liked helping people” and that was what made him want to become a police officer--that was his dream.

So when Colin was nine—think about that, he had a brain tumor at two, and St. Jude helped get him to nine years old—the Ithaca City Police Department swore him in as a Lieutenant. This happened just a couple hours down the 90, not in some far-off location. This was not a symbolic or honorary thing—he was sworn in as a lieutenant, the youngest member of their department.

Unfortunately Colin passed away a few months later, but St. Jude helped him live out his dream. That's why this weekend is so important--St. Jude is helping kids live a full life so they can live out their dreams, just like Colin.