Welcome back, Officer Powell

SANDUSKY — John Powell is a simple man: He appreciates protecting the community and loves supporting his family.But a sudden illness greatly complicated matters, preventing him from carrying on these life passions and jeopardizing his ability to ever do so again.Powell felt sick throughout large chunks in 2019. He experienced issues with his lymph nodes swelling up, a reoccurrence of a similar problem happening to him two years prior. He also caught poison ivy.In July, Powell saw a specialist at the Cleveland Clinic-operated North Coast Cancer center in Sandusky, where he received troublesome news about his condition.Doctors diagnosed Powell with head and neck cancer. It's categorized as cancer developing in those body areas."The doctor looked at me and said, 'If you are going to get cancer, this is the best cancer to get,'" Powell said. "It made me feel a little bit better about what was going on."Such a diagnosis forced him to step away from his career as a Sandusky police officer. After a brief stint with Cedar Point police, Powell became a full-time officer with the city in 1998.Powell then began an intensive seven-week treatment program that involved radiation and chemotherapy."I lost every bit of muscle out of my body," Powell said. "It drained me. I couldn't cut my own grass. And the way I had to feed myself would be to pour (liquids) into a big, thick syringe, which drained down into my stomach. The only thing that tasted normal was water."But he felt even worse for his family, which included his wife, Natalie, and their four children. Natalie, in fact, works at North Coast, where Powell received his diagnosis and treatment."It was rough on her and them," Powell said. "My wife works around cancer patients on a daily basis. She knows how bad this can be."Sandusky police Officer John Powell overcame a cancer diagnosis and returned to full-time patrolling duties on Sunday.The community coming togetherWhen word spread about Powell's condition, many community groups came together in a sign of support.For instance, the Margaretta High School girls volleyball team organized an event, Volley for the Cure, to raise money for treatments. Powell's daughter Avery plays on the team."It was so incredible," said Powell, who credited Jodi Camp Parkhurst and Ashley Williams for putting on the event.Justin Dority, Powell's friend and a fellow law enforcement official with Perkins police, also arranged a fundraiser in September. More than 500 people attended the function, with all proceeds benefiting Powell's family."I don't know if I've ever been more humbled in my entire life," Powell said. "I had no idea that many people would come out for me."Dority believed it's the least he could do for Powell."I've known John and Natalie for 15 years, and they both have had a huge impact on my wife's and I's choices in careers," Dority said. "John directed me in the path of law enforcement, and Natalie worked alongside my wife at Firelands and now at the Cleveland Clinic."Sandusky police Officer John Powell, bottom right, credits his family for supporting him through his cancer treatments. His immediate family includes (back row, from left) daughter Avery, son Gavin, son Brevan (front row, from left), wife Natalie and daughter Kenasyn.A Christmas miraclePowell underwent his final scheduled treatment on Sept. 20. He wouldn't know for three months afterward whether the cancer grew, lingered or went into remediation.Fast-forward to Dec. 23, and the Powell household received a gift not even Santa himself could deliver."My doctor viewed my PET scan and said he didn't see any signs of cancer anymore," said Powell, who became emotional reliving the moment. "The doctor told me people don't recover the way I did."Powell, who thanked his personal physician, Dr. Kasra Karamlou, then presented the news to his family."Everyone was (crying)," said Powell, who credited Natalie, Avery and his other children — Kenasyn, Gavin and Brevan — as his main inspiration to fight through the condition. "An entire burden was lifted off myself and my family."At times, Powell worked "desk duty" for Sandusky police during sporadic periods between his treatments. Sunday marked his return as a full-time patroller."I've always liked interacting with people," Powell said. "I love what I do, and, at times, this is a sanctuary to me. If I'm having a bad day, I can come here, leave all my problems elsewhere and just worry about my work because I love the people I work with and the people I protect."Throughout the past year, many people urged Powell to retire, whether he was cancer-free or not."I can't do that," Powell said. "Why would I want to retire from something that I love to do?"Count Sandusky police Chief John Orzech among the contingent happily agreeing with Powell's decision for both medical and personal reasons."Officer Powell is a highly respected and valuable member of the department and community," Orzech said. "He is a 'street cop' that enjoys coming to work everyday with an upbeat attitude and serving the community."Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.