A young girl battling neuroblastoma is the newest member of a Hill Country police department, according to a report from Austin FOX affiliate KTBC.
The Granite Shoals Police Department (GSPD) swore 5-year-old Isabella into its ranks at a recent Granite Shoals City Council meeting just before the girl was to undergo a seventh round of chemotherapy, KTBC reported.
“This was a special way to send our girl off to her seventh round of high dose chemo/second stem cell transplant,” a Facebook page created for the purpose of providing updates on Isabella’s, or “Isa's” battle with cancer said. “Once again a 30-day journey to begin, but with all the support and prayers we will get through this.”
KTBC reported that GSPD and Isa have a relationship that goes back at least two years.
Sergeant Allen Miley met the girl in late 2020 when he and some officers did a drive-by for her.
Since then, the Granite Shoals Police Officer's Association helped Isa and her family by holding a barbecue fundraiser and even being present during her treatments.
The Mayo Clinic defines neuroblastoma as a cancer developed from immature nerve cells found in several areas of the body.
It affects mostly children in Isa’s age group, and is likely to run in families with a history of the disease, according to the Rochester, Minnesota-based academic medical center’s website.
Up to 800 new cases of neuroblastoma are reported annually in the U.S., per the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Isa’s pre-K teacher set up a GoFundMe page to help defray the cost of medical expenses, hoping to raise $30,000.
As of Wednesday, the campaign has received 107 donations totaling $9,300.
Organizer Suzy Cockrell wrote on the page that despite what Isa is going through, the girl remains upbeat.