7-year-old officer's family asks for prayers as doctors suggest hospice

Thursday, October 17, 2019
FREEPORT, Texas (KTRK) -- The father of honorary Freeport Police Officer Abigail Arias is asking for prayers after his daughter's doctors have recommended hospice care.

Ruben Arias says the tumors in his 7-year-old daughter's lungs have continued to grow. She has been fighting lung cancer since she was 4 years old.

"We're not done. We're not out because God is greater than all of this," Ruben said.

He says the family is praying for a miracle.

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Abigail's family announced that her cancer had returned in Feb. 2019.

Wilms tumor, a rare kidney cancer in children, was back and this time doctors are telling the family there's no cure.

"They basically said it's time to enjoy some life," said her mom, Ilene Arias. "Extremely tough. We cried for a few weeks."

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Abigail, as strong as she is, whispered in her mother's ear not to worry. This time, she said, the bad guys would not win.

"I have cancer. The bad guys are in my lungs," she said.

In December 2018, the Arias family met Freeport Police Chief Ray Garivey and they bonded.

Abigail told him that when she grows up, she wants to be a police officer.

"They are a lot stronger than I am," the chief said, in tears.

Wanting to fulfill her wish, he reached out to an organization in Pearland called Cop Stop and asked for a custom Freeport police uniform made especially for Abigail.

Abigail was sworn in on Feb. 7, surrounded by loved ones and officers from several different agencies around Texas.


"Her spirit, her toughness, her will to survive, that's what (we believe in)," Garivey said.
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