WAXAHACHIE, Texas —A Texas officer and cancer survivor has made it his life’s mission to support cancer fighters and to encourage other law enforcement officers to do the same, according to a release from Carter BloodCare.
In 2007, James “J.T.” Taylor felt “invincible.”
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“There was no genetic link of cancer in my family,” Taylor told Carter BloodCare.
Then, Taylor was diagnosed with an aggressive form of testicular cancer.
“My cancer went from stage 1 to stage 4 in less than 30 days,” Taylor said.
The disease metastasized in his right lung, according to the release, launching a year of treatment and fighting for survival. Taylor underwent major surgeries, daily chemotherapy and multiple blood transfusions.
“To this day, the oncologist refers to me as his miracle, and I believe I am. I could have been another casualty to testicular cancer, but God had other plans for me,” Taylor said. He was declared cancer-free in October 2008.
After his fight for survival, Taylor made it his mission to give back. He joined the Waxahachie Police Department in 2009, where he eventually took on the role of community services officer. He now works to coordinate outreach programs like neighborhood watch, self-defense classes, community active shooter training, programs that assist residents with special needs and kids events like Cops and Kids picnics and Shop with a Cop, according to the release.
He is also the department’s coordinator of Carter BloodCare drives.
“I was given so much blood when I went through my surgeries that I felt compelled to give to others as it was given to me,” Taylor said. “Blood, platelets and plasma are not made. They have to be given. Blood banks are always low, but it only takes a moment of your time to donate to save another.”
Taylor himself is aiming to donate a lifetime total of 50 gallons of blood by the end of 2025, enough to support 1,200 patients in urgent need of transfusions, according to the release. He also seeks to raise awareness and encourage others to give. His position allows him to help coordinate the Battle of the Badges, a regional law enforcement blood drive.
“I am committed to spreading awareness so that no one fights alone. I do not want anyone to go through the battle I faced,” Taylor said. “I am committed to helping others in my job as a police officer and it is the way that I live my life.”
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