Girl, 7, who became an honorary officer dies of rare cancer
Thousands leave comments in mourning after Freeport police share news of death
Abigail Arias, the 7-year-old Freeport girl who gained national prominence for her fight against a rare form of kidney cancer and her desire to be a police officer, died Tuesday.
Freeport police announced the child’s death on its Facebook page. She had battled a Wilms tumor in her kidney.
The city’s police chief, Raymond Garivey, was the first to make “Officer Abigail” an honorary cop and became her close friend and supporter.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Abigail Arias, the child who became an officer, a change agent for good and today, an Angel. Abigail, also known as Officer Arias 758, went to be with our Lord early this morning surrounded by her family and friends. Her love, compassion, and most importantly, her magnanimous spirit, will live on for generations to come. It’s both our duty and privilege to embody what Abigail taught us: to live life to the fullest, to never give up hope no matter the odds, to fight ‘the bad guys’ passionately, and most importantly, to love one another — and always Stay Relentless!”
More than 3,000 people left comments on the department’s Facebook page on Tuesday.
Affectionately known as as “Officer Abigail,” the young girl had suffered from cancer since 2017. Over the past few months, she had been made an honorary police officer in her hometown of Freeport, as well as by police departments as far away as New York.
In mid-October, Abigail’s father, Ruben Arias, tearfully shared on Facebook that she began experiencing pain in her left side. When they met with her oncology team, Arias said, the family was told that three-fourths of her left lung had been consumed by the tumor — and the right lung “was not far behind.” Arias said doctors asked for permission to start coordinating with hospice care for her medication.
That didn’t keep her down. Abigail still made several appearances, and her wish came true to meet the Astros’ Jose Altuve ahead of the first game of the World Series against the Washington Nationals.
“She has touched millions of people’s hearts in the nation,” Garivey said. “She fights the bad guys just like us police officers.”