PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Plymouth Township police officer who helped rescue an elderly couple from a house fire last year is now facing his own life-threatening battle with brain cancer.
Watch Christiana's story in the video player below:
Tyler Cannon, 35, a husband and father of three young children, was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was rushed to the emergency room after suffering from severe headaches.
Despite the serious prognosis, he's approaching his diagnosis with remarkable courage.
"He has an astrocytoma grade 4, but it's kind of an interchangeable diagnosis basically I think more known as the glioblastoma, which is the worst type of brain cancer that you can get," said Kristi McCann, Cannon's wife's cousin.
Cannon was part of a team of four Plymouth Township police officers who were named Officers of the Year after bravely rescuing a couple in their 70s from a house fire in November. Now, the community is rallying around him as he faces this personal challenge.
Related Story: Bodycam footage shows officers rescuing couple from fire in Plymouth Township
"He is just saying there is no other option. I'm gonna fight this. I'm gonna beat it. That's the option. I'm gonna see my kids grow. I'm gonna see them get married, have their own children. That's his mentality, extremely positive," McCann said.
Cannon recently underwent an awake craniotomy to remove part of the tumor in his brain.
"All went well with the surgery. They got out as much as they could," McCann said.
Plymouth Township Police Chief James Knittel said Cannon has told him he wants to be back on the job.
"He's a warrior defending our citizens. This battle with brain cancer, he's taken on the same attitude, the same philosophy," Knittel said.
The community has already raised over $47,000 through a GoFundMe campaign, and plans are underway for a golf fundraiser on September 21 at Lakes of Taylor Golf Course.
McCann says the family has gone through a lot, and their hope is to alleviate as much financial burden as possible.
"Because they need to focus on him getting well and fighting this," McCann said.
The police department is creating "Cannon Strong" t-shirts and providing support in various ways.
Thin Blue Line of Michigan has also started a donation drive.
"In their time of need, our family here at the police department is gonna step up and we're gonna do everything we can for him," Knittel said. "The township of Plymouth is behind him. The board of trustees here at the township of Plymouth have all reached out to me and asked how they can help, so we're gonna tackle this as a family, and Tyler is gonna fight this, and we're gonna be in his corner. We're gonna have his back."
—
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
