Quinn D’Amico-Valliere salutes in her genuine new police uniform. (Courtesy Chelmsford Police Department)
CHELMSFORD — Chief Colin Spence is pleased to report that the Chelmsford Police Department and Cops for Kids with Cancer presented a $5,000 check to a Chelmsford family, and also presented a custom-made child’s police uniform to a 6-year-old girl who is fighting to overcome cancer.
Quinn D’Amico-Valliere, 6, of Chelmsford, was diagnosed in 2023 with High Risk Neuroblastoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. Quinn was treated at Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, where she underwent chemotherapy, surgery, bone marrow transplants and radiation treatments followed by immunotherapy into March of this year. Quinn is now considered to be cancer free, but continues to take medications to prevent the cancer from returning.
When Chelmsford Police learned of her battle, they reached out to Cops for Kids with Cancer to provide Quinn’s family with assistance.
Cops for Kids with Cancer is a non-profit organization that provides funds to families across New England who have children battling cancer. The organization now provides checks to eight families per month across New England.
Funds are meant to help families fill the many gaps in finances that a cancer diagnosis can create. Funds can be used to help with medical bills, or more routine costs such as transportation or household needs that can often be overlooked when medical bills pile up.
Any police department in New England can sponsor a family with a child battling cancer.
But as Chelmsford Police and Cops for Kids with Cancer prepared a check for Quinn’s family, they learned that Quinn loves police officers, and enjoys dressing up as police officers. In fact, she dressed as a police officer this year for Halloween.
As a result, Chelmsford Police Traffic Control Officer Sal Mirabella Jr., who is on the board of Cops for Kids with Cancer, reached out to Blauer Uniforms, based in Boston, which manufactures uniforms for police nationwide.
Blauer generously agreed to create a genuine, child-sized police uniform for Quinn.
On Friday, Dec. 13, Quinn and her family — mother Jessica D’Amico, father Stephen Valliere, and brother Lionel Valliere — visited the Chelmsford Police Department.
Quinn’s eyes lit up upon seeing the uniform, and she immediately wanted to try it on.
Dressed in full uniform, complete with a real Chelmsford Police badge, Chelmsford Police hat, and Cops for Kids with Cancer Patch on her sleeve, Quinn was then given a tour of the Chelmsford Police Department and was allowed to explore a cruiser.
Quinn locked up her dad and brother in the Department lockup, then set them free. She also used the radio inside a cruiser.
“It is an honor, as a member of the Board of Directors for Cops for Kids with Cancer, to present Quinn, a true little warrior, and her family with a $5,000 check. Being part of CFKWC is incredibly rewarding, and there is no greater satisfaction than being able to facilitate these funds for a family who is part of our community here in Chelmsford,” said Deputy Chief Gary Hannagan. “Today, Quinn becomes part of a very special group — the CFKWC family — and we are proud to stand by her and her loved ones during this journey.”
“I have presented many checks to many families during my years on the board with CFKWC. Today’s check presentation to Quinn and her family is extremly special. To be able to coordinate and partner with Blauer to present Quinn with an authentic police uniform in the community that I work for, is an honor that I can not put into words,” said Officer Mirabella. “The joy that Quinn displayed proudly, while wearing that uniform, is the reason we volunteer our time to this incredible charity. I hope the uniform will be a sign of her strength and perseverance that Quinn displayed while going through her treatments to overcome that terrible disease.”
