Behind the Badge
Chris Kudla, an officer at the Riverside Police Department was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer last year, CBS 2’s Roseanne Tellez reports.
Doctors have said Kudla will make it through treatment; however, it will not be easy, as he will have to get through countless doctor visits and multiple sessions of chemotherapy treatments.
Kudla has been with the Riverside Police Department for less than two years and has accrued little sick time.
“There’s been days that I got chemo and went to work in the afternoon, after getting chemo in the morning,” Kudla said.
Once word of Kudla’s situation got out, fellow officers stepped up and began to donate their sick time to him, which will allow Kudla to take time off to get treatment.
“We all stick together and we try to help each other out,” Sergeant Frank Pontrelli said.
Kudla has about 6 months’ worth of time off now, thanks to the help of the other officers.
“When someone gets in trouble, the way they step up and help each other out – it’s like nothing else,” Kudla said.
His colleagues weren’t the only ones to donate time off to Kudla. Employees at the Riverside Village Hall and Public Works have also donated their time.
When Kudla is not in treatment, he is patrolling the streets of Riverside. Despite his advanced cancer, doctors say he has a good chance.
