Colleagues rally around Lake in the Hills police officer recovering from brain surgery

A Lake in the Hills police officer is facing a long road to recovery after having a benign brain tumor partially removed last month.

AJ Gazda isn't walking on that path alone. Family, friends and fellow Lake in the Hills officers are with him every step of the way. Fundraising efforts have netted more than $19,000.

Gazda, who has been a part of the Lake in the Hills Police Department since 2008 and a police officer since 2019, had the brain tumor surgery May 5.

He's been home with his wife, Carpentersville police Officer Kara Burroughs, since May 19.

Gazda said he's humbled by the support he and his wife have received and thanks everyone who has donated money "from the bottom of my heart."

"Fighting a brain tumor wasn't in my plans for this year," he said. "However, after exploring all my options, I agreed with the medical professionals and decided to take a head-on approach, no pun intended, to remove as much of the tumor as possible."

Family and friends have formed a Support Squad for Gazda.

"When we heard about AJ's diagnosis and the uncertainly that meant, we knew it would be a long road ahead and we had to do something to help," said family friend Mike Boyce, who organized a GoFundMe online fundraiser at www.gofundme.com/f/313yhyeswo to support Gazda.

Sales from a T-shirt that supports Gazda are adding to the fundraising.

"We want to be there for AJ and Kara every step of the way," Boyce said. "We weren't sure how much we could raise, but we set a goal of $30,000 and right now, we have more than $19,000.

"We couldn't be more excited and humbled by the generosity from donors."

Support Squad T-shirts that have Gazda's badge number inside a gray ribbon and the sentence, "It's brain surgery, not rocket science," something Gazda said when he found out he had to have brain surgery, are being sold.

It was a quick journey from diagnosis to surgery to treatment for Gazda.

After an eye doctor appointment in March, Gazda was referred to a neurologist. An MRI in April found the tumor, the diagnosis came later in April, and the tumor was partially removed in early May.

Gazda said his treatment plan is a daily effort catered to his neurological needs.

"The treatment team and doctors are pleased with my progress so far and excited to see me improve daily," he said. "We're told daily that my recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. Knowing that, I'm working hard every day during my healing process so I can get back to work and serve my community."

Gazda's connection to the Lake in the Hills Police Department started as a teenager, when he joined Law Enforcement Explorer Post 1096.

He was hired by the department as a 911 dispatcher in 2011, serving the Lake in the Hills, Huntley, Fox River Grove, Marengo and Union police departments, then he was hired as a community service officer in 2017.

But his "true passion and goal," said Amanda Schmitt, the Lake in the Hills Police Department's public information officer, was to be a Lake in the Hills police officer. In September 2019, Gazda achieved that goal.

Since then, he has become an active member of the department. In addition to his work as a patrol officer, he has been a crime scene technician, traffic enforcement unit member, traffic accident investigator, field training officer and Explorer adviser.

His dedication to drunken driving enforcement and arrests has earned him awards from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists.

Community relations and education also are among his passions as a police officer. So is connecting with the public at festivals, block parties and lemonade stands. He was a hit at the Summer Sunset Festival parade when he grabbed a set of pom-poms and marched with a cheer squad.

"If there's an opportunity for a smile or laugh, you can bet Officer Gazda is around," Schmitt said.