Andover Police Meet, Make Donation To Boy Fighting Cancer

Andover PD: Chief Patrick Keefe and nearly two dozen members of the Andover Police Department welcomed an Andover teenager and his family to the police station yesterday, where they were presented with a donation to help in the teen's fight against cancer.

On Wednesday, Aug. 21, Andover High School freshman Kevin Kang, 15, and his family visited the station to be presented with a donation from Cops For Kids With Cancer. The check is meant to help defray the costs the family has incurred during Kevin's ongoing battle with leukemia, which he's been fighting since his initial diagnosis last November.

Massachusetts State Police Capt. Michael Drummy presented the Kang family with a $5,000 check from Cops For Kids With Cancer, as well as a variety of gifts for Kevin, including a special quilt, a hat and a teddy bear. Chief Keefe also presented Kevin with some Andover Police gear, including a department hat and mug.

Several Andover Police officers, dispatchers and support staff were on hand for Wednesday's presentation. A group of officers then led the Kang family on a tour of department vehicles, including two cruisers and a motorcycle.

Kevin, who also lives with autism, was nominated for the award by a social worker at the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, where he's become well known for his smile. He's been undergoing treatment at Tufts since last fall, and will continue to for approximately the next two years.

"The feeling of support is beyond what words can describe," Kevin's father, Jingfeng Kang said. "[His diagnosis] was very overwhelming at first, but this gives a sense of support from the community and it makes it so much easier to deal with."

Cops For Kids With Cancer has donated over $3.3 million to families of children battling cancer since its founding in 2002.

"We are all so glad to welcome Kevin and his family and provide whatever support we can to make this journey easier for them," Chief Keefe said. "No family should ever have to deal with this sort of thing alone, so we're proud to partner with Cops for Kids With Cancer and we're so grateful for their continued support of kids and families in need."