Detective Jason Faulkner, 29, a Campbell County Police Department officer for eight years, needs a bone marrow transplant within two months for his fight against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
"We're running on borrowed time," said Campbell County Police Detective Tom Nitschke.Law enforcement and fire department personnel and their families from across the region plan to have their mouths swabbed on two testing dates in Alexandria and Covington to see if they can become a marrow donor.
Northern Kentucky's firefighting and police communities have joined forces to help save the life of a local cop.Detective Jason Faulkner, 29, a Campbell County Police Department officer for eight years, needs a bone marrow transplant within two months for his fight against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia."We're running on borrowed time," said Campbell County Police Detective Tom Nitschke.
Law enforcement and fire department personnel and their families from across the region plan to have their mouths swabbed on two testing dates in Alexandria and Covington to see if they can become a marrow donor.
But anyone in good health, age 18-60 can help by exploring self-testing options available at Web site www.marrow.org. Money is also being raised for a public testing event. Faulkner, of Southgate, was first diagnosed on Jan. 3, 2005. He returned to work in August 2005 when his illness went into remission after nine months of daily chemotherapy. On July 16, 2006 he became severely ill and returned to the hospital. His oncologist concluded the cancer had returned to his spinal column.
Faulkner has successfully worked on sexual abuse cases for the department, focusing on children's cases, Nitschke said.
"People shouldn't be scared of donating bone marrow because it's not the fearful surgical process it used to be..."If someone were to come up with an idealized version of a police officer it would be Faulkner, he said.
"It tears me apart what's going on, on a professional basis and as a close friend," he said.
Faulkner has been in a Cleveland hospital since he traveled to a Cleveland university to look into a procedure that could help him through the use of umbilical cord blood, said his brother-in-law, Jeff Watkins, of Cincinnati.
Although doctors haven't wanted Faulkner to leave the hospital, his condition hasn't worsened beyond the threat of potentially only having two months to live, Watkins said.
Watkins is heading up the effort to raise money through the non-profit Jason's Recruits.
The word has gotten around through e-mails and fliers to area police and fire agencies, and a large turnout is expected for the two testing events, Watkins said.
"I get phone calls saying 'How can I help,' even from departments that don't know him personally," Watkins said.
People shouldn't be scared of donating bone marrow because it's not the fearful surgical process it used to be, he said.
"The approach now, it's extracted straight from the blood strain, so it's almost like giving blood," Watkins said.Watkins is hoping to raise enough money to pay for the $52 per person test for a public testing event that could be held as soon as the first weekend in October.
To help raise money for a public testing event, donations can be made to The Marrow Foundation, care of Jason Faulkner, 400 Seventh St. NW, Suite 206, Washington, DC 20004.
BONE MARROW TESTING
The following two free "Join Jason's Recruits" bone marrow testing events are open only to area police and fire department personnel and their families.
Saturday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Hampton Inn Riverfront, 200 Crescent Ave., Covington.
Saturday, Sept. 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Alexandria Fire District No. 5, 7951 U.S. 27, Alexandria.