25yo Michigan City Officer told he has cancer, days to live

**Radar** · 10-09-07, 12:06 AM

http://www.wndu.com/home/headlines/10322302.html

Community helps Officer in need

7:07 PM Oct 8, 2007
Reporter: Sarah Platt
Email Address: sarah.platt@wndu.com

The Michigan City community is coming together, to help a police officer and his family in their time of need.
Officer Chris Smith collapsed at work last week. Doctors say Smith is dying of cancer and has just days to live. Smith is just 25 years old. The married father of three was told he might not live through this past weekend.
The family drove to a Chicago hospital last week, thinking doctors could remove Smith's tumors; but instead, the family received news that they never could have imagined.
Since he was a kid, Chris Smith's family says it was his dream to become a police officer. It was a goal Smith had just reached. After the standard probation period, he became an official Michigan City police officer last month.
“In the last thirteen months, he's become a veteran officer,” says Michigan City Police Officer Doug Samuelson. “He's not jumpy, he handles himself well. He's very respectful to the community, just a good friend.”
But the young officer's path took a turn for the worst last week, when doctors told him he had terminal cancer and had just days to live. Needless to say it’s a huge heartache for his wife Renee and their three little boys.
“We thought we were going to Chicago to have it removed, and the next minute we go to Chicago and come home, so he can die in his bed,” says Renee Smith, Chris’ wife.
To honor their officer as he returned home from the hospital, dozens of police officers lined the streets in their squad cars, outside Smith's home.
“On a minute notice, we must have had forty officers with their cars who showed up to escort Chris into the city, and we led him through the city and we stayed and paid tribute to him at a small vigil at his house,” says Michigan City Police Chief John Kintzel.
“The whole road was filled with police cars, everyone was just standing around. They all came in through the door. They stood here waiting for Chris. Chris said how much he appreciated everything,” says Renee.
The police department is now organizing two pancake breakfasts to raise money for the Smith family. The breakfasts are on October 28th and November 11th, from 7 a.m. until noon. The events will be held at the Michigan City Senior Citizen Center. Tickets are $5 at the door or ahead of time at the Michigan City Police Department.
Many Michigan City police officers are also donating their vacation and personal time, to help the Smith family.

**121Traffic** · 10-09-07, 07:20 AM

Holy shit. Prayers to the family.

**kjlaw** · 10-09-07, 07:29 AM

Very Sad Thoughts and Prayers enroute to the officer and family

**jmur5074** · 10-09-07, 08:28 AM

That really really really really sucks....

man....

**lewisipso** · 10-09-07, 09:06 AM

Sad. Very sad.

**Jenna** · 10-09-07, 09:10 AM

Thoughts to the officer and family.

**Buttercup** · 10-09-07, 09:54 AM

Oh, how awful. Thoughts and prayer en route to the officer and his family.

**BigDawg** · 10-09-07, 10:02 AM

Wow how awful, prayers to the family.

**depusm12** · 10-09-07, 11:32 AM

Smoke and prayers from Kansas. Man that really sucks

**armsmaster270** · 10-09-07, 11:49 AM

I agree it really sucks, at least the dept is behind him and not leaving him hanging like some would. Prayers to the officer, his family & Dept.

**Willowdared** · 10-09-07, 01:03 PM

Thoughts and prayers enroute.

**smokey703** · 10-09-07, 03:09 PM

Many prayers sent.

**deputy29** · 10-10-07, 03:09 AM

Thoughts and prayers sent.

**PapaBear** · 10-10-07, 08:54 AM

My thoughts and prayers go out to the officer and his family. Obviously, St Michael is looking for a new soldier who has such dedication and stamina.

**Growler** · 10-10-07, 01:32 PM

Prayers sent

**joneziecop4life** · 10-10-07, 02:42 PM

prayers sent and just hold on buddy, believe because when the doctors say there's no hope. it there. you will b in my prayers

**bufford408** · 10-10-07, 03:37 PM

Oh my. Facing "bad guys" as my kids call them normally does notscare me. It is shit like this that bothers me. This sucks.

**bufford408** · 10-10-07, 03:39 PM

I do think it is great that the city is standing beside him as they are. Sounds like a good place to be an Officer.

**depusm12** · 10-20-07, 12:09 PM

Any more news?

**Willowdared** · 11-22-07, 09:55 PM

Latest news

Helping Chris
Group builds wheelchair ramp for police officer fighting cancer.

Rick Richards
City Editor, The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Building wheelchair ramps is normally a warm-weather project for Catholic Charities, but Thomas Szawara said he had no problem assembling workers to build one for Chris Smith.

"We don't normally build the ramps so late in the year, but St. Anthony Hospice called and asked us for help, and this group never refuses to help," said Szawara.

Smith, 25, a member of the Michigan City police force for barely a year, has been diagnosed with inoperable cancer and the prognosis isn't good. When Smith was a child, he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor that cost him a kidney. For years he was cancer free, but the disease returned with a vengeance earlier this year.

Smith, wife, Renee, and their three sons, Tyler, 7, Prestin, 2, and Matthew, 11 months, recently returned from a trip to Disney World that was organized and paid for by friends. Smith told a friend he hoped to someday take his sons to Disney World, but he worried his cancer would keep that from happening.

A family friend, Angela Hugley, heard about that and organized the trip.

But by the time the trip came around, Smith needed the assistance of a wheelchair to get around, and that's what led Catholic Charities to show up at Smith's Roeske Avenue home on a cold and blustery Friday in November.

Bob Bell, a retired Michigan City police officer, was one of the volunteers.

"It's special for me to be on this project. We are all very pleased to be out here to help. I just hope he gets a lot of use out of it."

Bell, who retired two years ago after 37 years with the department, said he has never met Smith, but that fact doesn't diminish the bond he feels with the officer.

"It hurts to hear that being a police officer was Chris' lifelong dream, and then this happens," Bell said.

The mood at the project was upbeat. All of the volunteers said they enjoy what they do.

Besides Szawara and Bell, volunteers pitching in included construction coordinator John Shebel, Natalie Kroening, Rich Pelis, LeRoy Adkins, Bette Wedow, Tom Mulhern, Linda Middleton, Tom Berg, Jack Litz and Barb Mason.

Szawara said the ramp built for Smith was the 33rd ramp the group has built this year.

The public can help with Smith's medical bills by attending a fundraising pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon Sunday at the Senior Center in Washington Park. The breakfast is sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Police Dunes Lodge No. 75. Tickets are $5 and will be available at the door.