Chris Patterson
(5/3) Just over three weeks ago Officer
William Murray of the Thurmont Police
Department was diagnosed with Acute
Lymphocytic Leukemia and airlifted the same
day to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore
without time to even adjust to the idea.
It was a day like any other day, and just
three weeks before he was to marry his fiancé,
Molly Mason. Mason, 29, and Murray, 28, have
postponed their wedding because they want to
wait until he no longer has to wear a surgical
mask in public, Mason said.
For now, though discharged last weekend,
Murray will have to live within one hour of
Johns Hopkins and return every day for
treatments, even on weekends. And he wears a
mask when out of the hospital because his
immune system is so weakened from the
chemotherapy.
Mason said Murray used to run five miles
without trouble, but in January he caught a
cold or flu and everything changed. Despite
treatment with antibiotics, Murray got winded
walking 100 yards and he was always very
tired. That’s when he went to his doctor and
found out about the leukemia, she said.
For now, Murray is doing okay despite the
chemotherapy, Mason said. “He’s being very
strong. He’s accepted it now. He just wants to
do whatever he needs to do to get better,” she
said.
|
Thurmont Police Officer William Murray has
been diagnosed with leukemia and is receiving
treatment in Baltimore. He is seen here
(standing, center, in uniform with sunglasses
on his head) during the 2006 National Night
Out, six months before being diagnosed with
leukemia, with some of his fellow police
officers. |
And they are grateful for the love and
support they have received from everyone.
The couple is currently staying in a hotel,
but will soon move into a Baltimore apartment
donated by Thurmont residents John and Karen
Kinnaird. John Kinnaird said his wife’s family
owns the apartment in a nice part of town and
wanted to help.
“We’re
only doing it because we want the guy to get
better and have less of an expense while he’s
doing it,” Kinnaird said, tossing away credit
for the donation.
Fellow officers Lieutenant Shawn Tyler and
Sergeant Mike Figgins have opened an account
at F & M Bank in Thurmont (called the William
Murray Fund) to raise money for medical and
other costs associated with Murray’s treatment
and recovery.
“We are soliciting donations from anyone
and everyone that can be sent care of the
police to assist with medical bills, the cost
associate with travel” and more, Tyler said.
A friend of the family got the couple some
furniture for the apartment in Baltimore.
Co-workers have donated gas cards and other
things because Mason has been driving back and
forth to Johns Hopkins, she said.
Thurmont resident and Catoctin Colorfest
President Beverly Zienda announced recently at
a town meeting that Colorfest donated $300 in
gas cards to the couple.
“We wanted to do something for his fiancé
because running back and forth to Baltimore is
very expensive,” Zienda said.
Mason said she and Murray find it hard to
believe so many people are doing so much for
them.
“I can’t even say enough. It’s so
generous…” she said. “We couldn’t ask for him
(Murray) to work in a better town, be in
better place or with better people. They are
all so kind. They couldn’t do any more, Mason
said.
