ITEM PHOTO BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
Sean and Beth Cummings with their 15-year-old son Zachary who is fighting a treatable form of Lymphoma.
By BRIDGET TURCOTTE
SAUGUS — A local teenager lit up Saugus Center with lights and sirens Wednesday.
Zachary Cummings, 15, was escorted by police car to the Saugus Police Station to receive a $5,000 donation from Cops for Kids with Cancer.
Cummings was diagnosed with Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in January after he and his parents noticed a lump on his neck. He began a two-year treatment plan in February and travels to Boston for regular appointments at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital twice each week.
His mom, Beth Cummings, who worked for a law firm for 15 years, quit her job to bring him to and from his appointments.
“I just want to say thank you to everybody who has helped me along the way with this,” said Cummings, a student at St. Mary’s High School in Lynn. “It’s been a rough journey but with you guys’ help, I know I’m going to be able to get through it.”
Cops for Kids with Cancer is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization that benefits families of children battling cancer. The organization was founded by John Dow, a retired police captain and cancer survivor, said Ed McNelley, a member of the organization’s Board of Directors.
While in the hospital, he noticed a lot of sick children and the financial hardships their parents faced after taking off work or leaving their jobs to bring them to and from appointments.
Dow began donating funds to families of police officers and giving the remainder to other families of children with cancer who needed it. In 2007, Dow died and left the organization to the Board of Directors, which has since grown to include more than 20 members.
Cops for Kids With Cancer donates $5,000 to six families each month. Since 2004, more than $2.5 million has been given to families with children battling cancer, said McNelley.
“Cancer is a cruel disease that doesn’t discriminate against being young or old,” said Saugus Police Chief Domenic DiMella. “Zachary is fighting this disease and we know he is going to beat it and come out ahead of it. We’re glad we were able to help in some way.”
Cummings’ dad, Sean Cummings, was brought to tears by the generosity.
“The outreach from the town and the school system has been overwhelming,” said Sean Cummings. “I know that Zach is fighting hard and he’s going to do great — just a sincere thanks again to everybody.”
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Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.