Calumet Park police officer shares battle with rare cancer on social media: 'Blessed to be alive'

Leah Hope Image
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 10:53PM
Suburban police officer shares battle with rare cancer on social media
Calumet Park Police Officer Breon Glass, 29, has shared his inspiring battle with a rare cancer, synovial sarcoma, through social media videos.

CALUMET PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- Support poured in for a suburban police officer, who is a father of five boys, as he battled cancer.

In February, Breon Glass had his left foot amputated after being diagnosed with a rare cancer, synovial sarcoma.

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Getting back into the gym has been a task for Glass.

He is used to hard workouts, but first he had to recover. For now, he gets assistance from his wife Leia.

The 29-year-old man is a police officer for the Village of Calumet Park, and he said his whole life he's been healthy and athletic.

"I was just shocked," Officer Glass said.

After a foot chase last year, Glass noticed some pain in his left foot that led him to the diagnosis. Since then, he has been sharing his journey on social media to warn others about rare cancers that can develop in young adults.

"It ended up getting 100,000 views [on TikTok.] It was amazing," Glass said. "I want to help someone else, if they don't have to go through what I've gone through, that's what I can do."

Glass said he's generally a private person, but he felt compelled to share.

"If I didn't go to the hospital, kept walking around with it, didn't get the biopsy done, it could have metastasized to the rest of my body, and unfortunately I could have succumbed to it," Glass said.

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Officer Glass expects to get his prosthetic foot in the coming weeks so he can once again be independent.

"I feel blessed to be here speaking with you," Glass said. "I feel blessed to be alive."

The young officer is now cancer free.

The father of five active boys said he is eager to get his prosthetic and get back to work.

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