BURLINGTON, N.C. — A coin, sneakers, and a ribbon symbolize a fight involving everyone in the Burlington Police Department. Two years ago, one of their own was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Since then, his brothers and sisters in blue have banded together to help him win his biggest battle.
"Shock, disbelief, anger, frustration. The 'why me?' What did I do? What didn't I do? And I still hold on to some of that of I feel, you know, like maybe, maybe there was something I should have done more of or less than. But with my doctors at Duke have told me repeatedly, it's nothing. It's nothing to that. So it's just it's a hard it's a mental thing to to get over."
These are the emotions Lt. Jeff Kology still wrestles with. In 2022, his life was turned upside down when he was tragically diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer.
“Started with some swelling in my leg, and I had some pain in the side of my chest. I went to the emergency room with the with the severe swelling. And when they did the x-rays and everything, then they discovered that I had a mass in my left lung,” Kology said. “It's a soft tissue sarcoma that can start in the muscles and any soft tissue area in the body where it can start at. And it was already stage four because it had started in my abdomen and then moved to my lung area.”
Since this devastating diagnosis, Jeff’s wife and two kids have been by his side every single day.
“You hate for something like this to draw your family closer. But we’re closer as a result of it. My wife is the best caretaker. Anything that I need, if I’m having a bad day, a good day, she’s there, always,” Kology said. "Never far from my side. Goes to all my appointments with me. She's just amazing. And my two kids the same way. They have been both very supportive. My son still lives with us. My daughter does not but she routinely checks in and tries to visit as much as she can. So all of those things combined and my extended family and other friends have just all just been so amazing that it's that's what makes a difference."
His tough journey has also brought him closer to his fellow officers, especially Lt. Lori Catoe. They’ve worked together for over a decade.
“So I was his first phone call. I guess I was shocked. So obviously, still getting emotional just thinking about it,” Catoe recalled. “But it was so far progressed, and it was caught later on which he's already in stage four. So honestly the unknown. Just knowing he has to go through the treatments and all the chemo and all the medications and, you know, worried about his job.”
The entire department has rallied behind Lt. Kology, dedicating themselves to raising awareness during Sarcoma Awareness Month. They’ve donned new badges, driven a newly wrapped patrol car, and worn sneakers to stomp out sarcoma.
“This police department is a family. And when something happens to one, it happens to all of us. It's been tremendous, especially being at this police department in this city. Just seeing how everyone came together for him has been incredible,” Catoe added.
Lt. Kology is still undergoing treatment. So far this month, he's raised more than $2,600 for sarcoma research at Duke University.
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