I'm a retired detective from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC. I joined the DC Police in 1988 and worked as a police officer in the Fourth District until 1990. Then, I was accepted into the Special Operations Division as a fugitive investigator. I was assigned to that unit from 1990 until 2012; the unit was sponsored by the FBI and US Marshall Service, with an array of members from all the federal agencies in the USA. My job took me as far as Nicaragua in the hunt of an accused murder of a Marine. I transported prisoners from as far as Orlando to DC to close major cases like the one of Chandra Levy. I captured and brought to justice the entire Salvadorian Gang in DC known as MS 13.

I did my duty and served this country as a well as I could until I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in April of 2012. My doctor said to get my things in order and that I would not make it past November of that year.

I had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I started all the treatment necessary and continued to work and conduct my business to the utmost level of professionalism which I was accustomed to. My last resort was to obtain a bone marrow transplant and for that I was referred to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for a consult. I had no family member to be a match and the donor bank at the time showed no one with my DNA. I had fought evil and stood for good all my life but the fight had gotten the best of me. I had no hope and my faith had faltered. I was sitting in the room receiving my treatment when Adrienne Holmes, who had been taking care of me since I was first diagnosed, noticed that something was wrong with my demeanor. When she asked me, I had to tell her that I was tired of fighting and I was ready to give up.

The angel that rescued me from the bottomless pit is Nurse Adrienne Holmes from the Anne Arundel Medical Center infusion center located in Annapolis, Maryland. She immediately went into action, like I did when I was hunting criminals, within minutes she had Dr. G, my first oncologist, respond to the room and speak with me. He immediately told his staff that he wanted me back in his care and to do anything possible to have me back with his practice. Adrienne also found a doctor at the University of Maryland Baltimore Campus who specializes on Stem Cell Transplant and she made me an appointment for me to be seen by him.

I received my stem cell transplant on May 22, 2013 and right now as I write this letter I'm no longer on any type of medication and cancer free thanks to my nurse that saved my life, Adrienne Holmes.