Fighting cancer together
Police, community wear patches in support of Dawn Deluca
March is about more than just welcoming spring for city resident Dawn Deluca, it’s the opportunity to bringing awareness to the form of cancer she has been battling for some time.
Themonth is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which Deluca was diagnosed with eight years ago. The police department, where her husband Mike is an officer, is wearing and selling custom-made blueribbon patches throughout the month in honor of those fighting the disease, including DeLuca.
The patches and wristbands are on sale at thepolicedepartment headquarters on Church Street and at Main Street Gift & Café.
“I am so honored that the City of Leominster and my husband’s co-workers support me day in and day out to the point where they realize how important my cancer fight is and how important it is to me to bring awareness about colorectal cancer,” the 39-yearold shared, adding that she appreciates “these wonderful men and women who put their lives onthe line every day but instead are puttingmy life number one in theirs by supporting me.”
The first five years her cancer was stage 2 but in 2020 it progressed to stage 4 with metastatic tumors in Deluca’s pelvis. Through it all she has kept working as a registered nurse in the Critical Care Unit at Umass Memorial Healthalliance- Clintonhospital, Leominster Campus.
Deluca was born and raised in Gardner, where she played field hockey at the high school. She teamed up with Gardner High School field hockey coach Lynn Sayarath to do an annual field hockey game fundraiser to benefit the cancer focused Joe Andruzzi Foundation calledstick It Tocancer, which has raised $8,464 to date.
“100% of the money raised fromadmission and a raffle table goes to the foundation to help cancer patients in need,” Deluca said.
She and her husband have been together for 14 years, married for nine. She said thatwhile she and her husband do not have kids as “unfortunately I was not able to because of my cancer,” they rescue “severely abused Pit Bulls” and have three furry family members of their own.
The couple formed a friend
ship with Joe Andruzzi and his wife Jen Andruzzi and attended the 15th annual Joe Andruzzi Foundation Gala last year. In addition, Deluca and Sayarath have presented checks to the Andruzzis at the foundation headquarters in North Attleborough from the annual Stick It To Cancer fundraisers they organize.
Part of the proceeds raised from the police department patches will go to the foundation “to help cancer patients like myself,” Deluca said.
Police Chief Aaron Kennedy said they are happy to support her through the patches.
“Over the last three years we have been trying to do a lot of charity work with patches,” Kennedy said. “Autism, breast cancer, colorectal cancer with the thought of helping Dawn through this tough time.”
He continued by saying that “we let her and her husband Mike guide us” and called Deluca “a trooper.”
“I’ve known her for a long time. She is probably the most courageous person I have ever met, always with a smile on her face,” Kennedy said. “If we can raise a few dollars and make a donation to the foundation hopefully we can make a difference and do this as an annual event.”
Kennedy said members of the public, City Hall and local hospitals staff, and many more have purchased the patches and wrist bands from the police department headquarters and at Main Street Gift & Café, which is owned by Mayor Dean Mazzarella, whom Kennedy said, “has been a strong supporter.”
“It has been a great thing and I’m so happy to help them,” Kennedy said of supporting the Delucas and their efforts. “We all have to stand together, a united front for this great cause.”