A cancer diagnosis is difficult enough without even thinking about the potential financial struggles involved with treatment. However, Garland Police Department Traffic Unit Lieutenant Chris Carker and Officer Tommy Barnes are currently receiving much-needed assistance from the newly formed Garland Police Never Walk Alone Foundation.
The foundation has already received help from Raising Cane’s Chicken, Chik fil A and Outback Steakhouse. In addition, Garland Foodies hosted a benefit dinner Nov. 1. Guns & Hoses and the Garland Police Association have helped as well. Jennifer Nguyen who heads up Garland’s Community Multicultural Commission is also a partner. She helped the group raise a large sum through contacts at Saigon Mall. And the foundation continues to add to its list of partners.
Motorcycle and SWAT Officer Christian “Tank” Gipson has battled cancer two times. Naturally, he wanted to do something to help Carker, who is his Traffic Unit lieutenant.
Carker has a very rare type of cancer, mantle cell lymphoma, that only 40% of doctors have ever treated. He was originally being treated at UT Southwestern but doctors there recommended that he see a doctor at M.D. Anderson in Houston. This doctor is one of few that have experience with this type of cancer. He has done a great deal of research on mantle cell lymphoma. In addition, he is considered the most knowledgeable physician in that type of cancer.
The physician recommended a specific surgery to begin Carker’s treatment, but the city of Garland, which is self-insured, denied approval for the procedure…not once, or twice but three times. They did approve a bone marrow transplant, but, according to the doctor, that procedure should be the second option. The surgery that he recommends should be the first.
The two initial pleas were made to the two boards that work together to approve or disapprove procedures. Then the third plea was made personally from the M.D. Anderson doctor to the Blue Cross insurance director and the result was learned just a couple of days ago.
“So Carker’s surgery was denied by insurance,” Gipson said. “Now we are going to raise the money for that surgery one way or another. So this is a plea for help. I need people to know how desperate we are.”
“I find it ironic that the head researcher, one of the head people on this type of cancer at an internationally renowned hospital, M. D. Anderson, says he needs this specific surgery and he absolutely recommends that it be done first before a bone marrow transplant, yet they’ve denied it. Why would the insurance board not go with the doctor’s recommendation?” Gipson said.
The group of officers and its partners had been working to raise money because they knew that Carker would need to stay in Houston for a while. And with the help of their partners, they had done a really good job raising funds. They had gotten together enough money so they were able to tell Carker not to spend a dime of his own money on anything when he went to Houston.
When he returned after that Houston trip, the foundation had raised $32,000 and realized that they were capable of raising funds to assist others with medical issues.
“There’s also Officer Tommy Barnes who’s fighting a rare kind of cancer. He just recently returned from M.D. Anderson where he learned that his cancer has spread. He will be needing more assistance from the foundation,” Gipson said.
As the fundraising was going on, the group became aware that one of the officers, Travis Nelson, is an instructor pilot out of Addison Airport. He said that he could fly Carker to M.D. Anderson so that he and his wife wouldn’t have to spend four hours on the road. Nelson wanted to pay for everything, but Gipson explained that everyone in the Traffic Unit wanted to help.
So, in addition to the outside fundraising, the officers began contributing anywhere from $20 to $100 of their own money every month. And Nelson did fly Carker and his wife to Houston.
“I took them to Addison Airport in my truck and parked next to the aircraft that was ready to go,” Gipson said. “They got on the plane, I loaded their bags on and they took off. That’s how easy it was.”
Officer David Hanisch, also in the Traffic Unit, then told Gipson that his wife, Linda, works as director of sales at the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton in Richardson. Hanisch said that he thought Linda might be able to help. This turned out to be quite an understatement. She talked to the Hilton general manager who “hired” Carker so that he could get the employee rate of $35 at the Hilton in Houston.
As all this was happening, the group realized that this was no longer just a fundraiser for Carker. They would be helping Barnes through his cancer battle as well. In addition, Officer Rene Granado’s 27-year-old son Fabian got Covid-19 while in Florida and has been in a Jacksonville
hospital since Aug. 11. So, the foundation will also be assisting the Granados.
The idea for a foundation came about one day as the traffic officers were gathered around a conference table. They talked about how they should move forward and also checked with a few similar organizations. And the decision was made. Gipson would be the foundation’s president. Then, Ted Nguyen, who is now the vice president of the foundation’s board, ran with the idea.
“And the next thing you know, we have a bank account, we are recognized by the state as Garland Police Never Walk Alone, we have a tax ID number and are waiting for the IRS designation as a 501(c)(3),” Gipson said.
Foundation’s Mission
“As I thought about how to describe the foundation’s purpose, I knew that I didn’t want it to be any more political than was necessary,” Gipson said.
The group decided that the foundation’s assistance would be available to all Garland Police Department employees, both officers and civilians, along with their immediate family members. They also determined that it would provide assistance for both physical and mental health issues. Financial support will not be the only focus.
The foundation also has people who can be advocates. They will point people in the right direction for the assistance they need. In addition, there are nurses who can help people process information from their doctors and help when second opinions are needed. There is also a psychologist who can help with issues such as PTSD and an attorney for written wills.
“In short, we are a medical foundation that facilitates medical and physical and mental health awareness and assists in monitoring needs as well as advocacy, That’s the heart of the foundation,” Gipson said.