A member of the Owen Sound police service is being celebrated as a finalist for the Police Association of Ontario Hero of the Year awards.
Identification Officer Cory Fernando was named one of two finalists in the category of community role model in this year’s awards. Hamilton Police Sergeant Brad Adams was the top finalist in the role model category.
Owen Sound’s Fernando underwent surgery in February to donate half of her liver to her colleague Jason Helm, who works in the police service’s records department and is a Special Constable.
Helm, who has had cystic fibrosis his whole life, had been experiencing liver failure recently and was placed on the transplant list this past winter.
His colleague Fernando volunteered to be his donor, and after thorough testing, was approved.
The surgery went well, and both have recovered after several weeks of rest.
Fernando was celebrated in Owen Sound Wednesday by the Police Association of Ontario, her Owen Sound Police Service colleagues and political representatives of all levels including Mayor Ian Boddy, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Rick Byers, Christine Hogarth, who is Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Solicitor General and Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff.
Helm, who is doing well and back to work after the transplant says, “She is very deserving. It’s a very selfless act that she did.”
He says support from the community has been amazing, from the donations to their GoFundMe campaign to help them recover from their surgeries, to the care and kindness they received throughout the entire experience.
Helm says he’s doing well, “Right now, all my blood markers are stable, slightly elevated but they’re stable and trending down so that’s positive.” He says he has regular virtual doctor appointments to check in and regular blood tests. “It’s good right now. We’re at a good spot.”
He says going forward, his focus is on enjoying his health, “Just live life each day to its fullest and just encourage people to donate, however they can, whether it’s blood or organs or even signing their donor card if something were to happen, they they can be donors after they pass.”
Fernando says she and Helm hope they can continue to use their experience to raise awareness about the need for donors.
Fernando says, “Knowing that people have put themselves on the donor list because of what they’ve heard and the impact that we’ve had on that was phenomenal. We’re still getting messages from people that have said they’ve signed their donor card. Recently I got an email message from a woman who has put herself on the anonymous liver donor list for a small child,” says Fernando who notes there are thousands of people waiting on the donor list.
She adds, “It sounds scary but at the end of the day, it was worth it. We’re both healthy and happy.”
Owen Sound Police Association President Brent Down spoke at the event, sharing a Robert Clancy quote he felt was fitting, saying, “We all have the capacity to be a superhero. In order to become one, we just have to find our unique power and ability and exploit it for the greater good. The cape and the mask are optional accessories, but a kind heart is essential.”
Thank you to @OwenSoundPolice Chief Craig Ambrose, Owen Sound mayor @ian_boddy, MP @AlexRuff17, MPP @voterickbyers and Parliamentary Assitant to the Solicitor General @CHogarthPC for helping to honour our #policehero, Cory Fernando. pic.twitter.com/VpW8Grk6BE
— Police Association of Ontario (PAO) (@PoliceAssocON) August 3, 2022