Suffolk County Sheriff Dr. Errol D. Toulon Jr. was only 34 years old, then protecting and serving the community as a captain with the NYC Department of Corrections.
The year was 1996. It was then that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His thoughts immediately turned to his family: would he live long enough to see his then young sons graduate from school.
After a rigorous regimen of chemotherapy and radiation, Sheriff Toulon was cancer free. Annual scans showed no cancer recurrence.
Then he was blindsided with devastating news only six years after beating Hodgkin’s lymphoma: Sheriff Toulon was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during what he thought would be a routine check up. The average survival rate: no more than three to three and a half years.
“This diagnosis was a gut punch, and I was terrified I couldn’t beat cancer a second time, especially one as formidable an opponent as pancreatic cancer. I feared I wouldn’t watch my sons graduate from high school or experience all of life’s important milestones with them. My maternal grandmother had died years earlier from pancreatic cancer, which heightened my panic even more,” said Sheriff Toulon to the Lustgarten Foundation: Pancreatic Cancer Research Center.
Doctors determined Dr. Toulon would be a prime candidate for what is called a “Whipple surgery,” a ten-hour procedure to remove part of my stomach, the head of the pancreas, part of the bile duct, the gallbladder, lymph nodes in the area of the pancreas, and the duodenum, which is the first part of the small intestine that connects to the stomach.
Following that painful surgery and long recovery, it was found that no further treatment was needed for cancer. But numerous illnesses forced the Sheriff to beat back numerous ailments of the heart, bile ducts, and lungs.
“Everyone experiences challenging times profoundly testing their resilience. My loving support system, my determination to stay positive and focused, and the power of faith and prayer sustained and comforted me throughout all of the health battles I faced and have given me the courage to envision and plan for my future,” added Sheriff Toulon.
Suffolk County’s top cop most recently shared his story of resilience with the Long Island Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He met the team, spoke to the group, and answered questions they had about his battle with cancer and his role as the Sheriff of Suffolk County.