Charlie Sears - Los Angeles Police Department

My father, Charlie Sears, was my first love. He was the epitome of the good father, good husband and great man. He was also a police officer that sought to make a difference. Whether that meant saving his partner's life during a shooting in 1965 or helping a blind woman on Christmas Eve whose radio had been stolen; he cared and touched many people's lives with his love, humor and courage.

The idea of the foundation began the day he was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), Grade IV. He was given nine months to live. The HMO that he was a part of had, in effect, given up on him. We could not get a referral to a specialist outside of their system. According to his doctors, they were doing all they could and there was very little hope of my father surviving beyond the nine months they had given him.

After an initial surgery to resect (remove) the tumor, we learned a biopsy was performed, not a resection as was initially discussed with our family. When we asked his neurosurgeon specific questions regarding his MRI scans following his initial surgery, we were misinformed of the results of those films as well.  All of this left us feeling hopeless.

After much research, we met with Dr. Christopher Duma of the Brain &  Spine Surgeons of Orange County, California.  His specialty was GBM and he had been treating this type of tumor with cutting-edge techniques since 1990.  It was then the reality of our situation started to hit home. We did not have the money to finance the surgery needed to possibly prolong or even save my father's life.  It was then that an "angel" stepped in and paid for the surgery out of his pocket.  Had it not been for this individual and his wife, my father would not have had that vital second surgery.

The second surgery was done with much success and 95% of the tumor was removed. My father was left with no neurological problems. Unfortunately, he succumbed to the blood clots he had developed after the first surgery and passed away on September 7th, 2005 while my mother and I were at his side.

After suffering such a loss, it is difficult to see beyond one's own pain. In keeping with my father's spirit and his love for his fellow police officers, the question then became "What do other police officers or firefighters families do given the same situation?"   This is a question we hope to someday answer.

Through our work in fundraising and making connections with our community of police officers and firefighters, we hope to be a resource for them if ever they are faced with the devastating news of a brain tumor.  It is our hope that we may provide financial assistance as well as emotional support to an entire family when faced with such a diagnosis.

In the coming years, our goal is to build an organization into one that provides financial assistance, support and advocacy services for those law enforcement officers and firefighters that have committed their lives to keeping our communities safe. We strive to be the first non-profit founded specifically to provide these individuals with the assistance and support they need should they receive such a life-changing diagnosis.

~ Laura K. Miller, Founder/President