Chelmsford Police Rally Around 5-Year-Old Battling Leukemia

CHELMSFORD, MA — A 5-year-old girl battling leukemia explored a Chelmsford Police cruiser, visited the department’s dispatch center and made a radio call to an officer during a special visit Thursday, according to a police statement.

The experience came as Chelmsford Police and Cops for Kids with Cancer presented Carson Doherty’s family with a $5,500 check to help ease the financial strain of her ongoing treatment.

Carson, whose parents are Kacey Fitzgerald and Colin Doherty of Tewksbury, was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in November 2024. She was 3 years old when an unexpected emergency room visit led to the diagnosis, according to a department news release.

She subsequently spent 37 days at Boston Children’s Hospital and began an intensive treatment plan expected to last about two and a half years. Carson is now more than halfway through treatment and is making encouraging progress, the release said.

“No family should face childhood cancer alone,” Chelmsford Police Chief Gary Hannagan said in a statement. “Carson’s courage, positivity, and determination have inspired everyone who has had the privilege of meeting her.”

Hannagan serves on the board of Cops for Kids with Cancer, a nonprofit that works with law enforcement agencies to assist New England families whose children have cancer. Families may use its donations for medical bills or everyday expenses stemming from hospital stays, appointments, travel and missed work.

In addition to the check and police station tour, Carson received a gift bag containing a teddy bear.

Carson celebrated her fifth birthday July 7. She is expected to finish chemotherapy in December, a milestone her family hopes will become its greatest Christmas gift.

Local families seeking similar assistance may contact Hannagan at ghannagan@chelmsfordma.gov.