Motorcycle ride raises money for MHP patrolman fighting cancer.

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)- A member of the Mississippi Highway Patrol is suffering from a rare form of cancer and Saturday a special motorcycle ride was held to help take care of his medical expenses.

They gathered at the Tupelo Furniture Market for a special ride to raise money for Mississippi Highway patrolman Keith Cole, who in April of 2018 was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as EG Junction which affects the stomach and the esophagus, and he has had to make several trips to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston Texas for treatment.

Recently he had his entire stomach removed. Captain Chad Moore is commander of F Troop where Cole serves.

“He’s a great man of faith because he told me when he found out he had cancer, he had just got out of patrol school. As you know our school is a pretty tough school, and he told me that that was God’s way of getting him in the best shape of his life where he could face this battle,” said Captain Moore.

Steven Floyd is a firefighter and President of the Tupelo Chapter of the Iron Warriors Motorcycle Club which took part in this weekend’s event.

“Keith’s a great guy. We’ve actually done a number of fundraisers for him. It’s something we wouldn’t miss. His family means a lot so anything we can do as an organization and as just friends to help him out we’d do anything we can,” said Floyd.

And the wives of first responders were instrumental in making this event a success. Melinda Whited is the wife of a Mississippi Highway patrolman and understands what Keith’s wife Monica is going through.

“They put their lives on the line, and we sit at home at wait for them to come home. So, you know she’s dealing with a different struggle, but it’s still hard regardless whether he’s working or not working. You know he’s a Trooper he’s hurting. She’s hurting so we’re there for them,” said Whited.

Today’s event here at the Tupelo Furniture Market was all about family, a family of highly dedicated law enforcement professionals coming together to help a brother in need.

“We just want to pitch in and help him as much as we could. So a bunch of my staff, I can’t take credit for a little part of this, because all these workers here are troopers and their wives or friends or some are family, and they put this together. Tt’s a great great thing,” said Captain Moore.

“It’s a special breed. Whether it be law enforcement or fire when your phone goes off, you know you’re going into something that most people would run away from. So it does take a special breed of person,” said Floyd.

“It’s a family. It’s not just the troopers or their wives that we’re one great big family. We support each other. The wives are there for each other because we know what you know our husbands go through and what they do every day, so we stick together,” said Whited.