Co-workers step up to help Warren officer with stage-4 cancer

Staff report

WARREN

Co-workers of Patrolman Lance Adkins of the Warren Police Department felt compelled to step up to help him with expenses coming his way as he begins a second course of treatment for cancer.

About 25 of them gathered Friday in Warren City Council chambers to show support and encourage donations to a Go Fund Me site they created in his name.

It can be found at www.gofundme.com/jq9qyh-no-one-fights-alone.

Adkins, 33, battled kidney cancer in 2014, but the cancer, known as stage 4 renal-cell carcinoma, has moved to his chest.

Adkins is still on the job, but after several weeks of testing, he will be told the recommended course of treatment, which may include surgery and intense immunotherapy.

Adkins, who has been an officer four years, also worked as a dispatcher and emergency medical technician before joining the police department.

“We’ve never been in the situation where the shoe is on the other foot,” said Adkins, a father of three. “It’s always been we’re out there – let’s help with a spaghetti dinner, stuff like that.”

He added, “It’s going to get very, very expensive here very quickly with all of the medical bills coming in.”

Police Chief Eric Merkel said Adkins is “out there every day fighting for the community, so I thought it was our time to step up for him.”