Support Officer Adam Cerretani's Cancer Battle

Support Officer Adam Cerretani and His Family During His Battle with Cancer

In May 2023, life took a heartbreaking turn for Officer Adam Cerretani and his young family.

Adam—a devoted husband, father of two toddlers, and a police officer with the Thomasville Police Department—was diagnosed with colorectal cancer after a routine biopsy revealed the devastating news. What followed was a harrowing, year-long medical battle that pushed Adam’s body, mind, and spirit to their limits.

Over the course of his treatment, Adam endured 25 consecutive days of radiation, which left him with severe radiation dermatitis. He then faced 16 weeks of aggressive chemotherapy. Midway through, he developed life-threatening blood clots in both lungs, leading to partial lung collapse and a week-long hospitalization. Doctors described the clot in his right lung as “massive.”

When a post-treatment CT scan revealed a suspicious mass, Adam went into surgery expecting to have a tumor removed—but woke up to learn it had been scar tissue. On January 18, 2024, he was joyfully declared cancer-free.

But the victory was short-lived.

Just a few months later, the cancer returned. On October 23, 2024, Adam underwent another major surgery to remove a new tumor. This was followed by weeks of recovery—much of it spent away from home in a hospital-affiliated hotel—separated from his wife and children.

In the months that followed, Adam’s health complications only grew:

A second blood clot

Incision wounds that wouldn’t heal

Three additional surgeries

Radiation-related nerve damage

Plastic surgery to close surgical wounds

Chronic lung scarring and reduced lung function

Today, Adam lives with permanent damage to his lungs and legs. He walks with a limp. Tasks as simple as taking out the trash leave him struggling to breathe. He’s just 35 years old, yet requires rest throughout the day to keep going—just like his 2- and 1-year-old children.

Through all of this, Adam’s wife has continued to work full-time while managing the household and caregiving responsibilities. Adam’s elderly parents help daily with daycare drop-offs, chores, and medical appointments, as Adam is currently unable to drive.

Adam has dedicated his life to service. Before joining the Thomasville Police Department in 2019, he served in the Army National Guard and worked for the Department of Public Safety. He left behind his home in New Jersey and moved to North Carolina to serve a greater purpose—protecting and serving his community.

Now, he and his family are in urgent need of help.

At this time, Adam has exhausted all of his sick leave time, leaving the Cerretanis struggling to stay afloat. While Adam continues to travel biweekly to Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York for treatment—incurring travel, lodging, and food costs—their most pressing needs are at home:

Mortgage payments

Daycare costs

Car and utility bills

Medication and medical supplies

Basic living expenses

This fundraiser is not about extras—it’s about survival. Every donation, no matter the size, will go directly toward helping the Cerretani family weather the financial burden caused by Adam’s ongoing cancer fight.

Adam has given everything he has in service to others. Now, it’s our turn to support him and help carry his family through this storm.

Please consider donating, sharing, and standing beside this brave officer, father, and husband in his time of need.

With heartfelt thanks,

The Friends and Family of Officer Adam Cerretani