SOUTH PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Friends and family of veteran South Portland police officer Linda Barker are rallying around her as she battles a rare form of cancer.
"She’s the most caring, giving person I know," Barker's brother Philip Slocum said. "She’s touched a lot of people in a very positive way throughout the years."
It's that positivity and drive that has captured the hearts of everyone she has met over the years. Those who know her say she is always doing something for others. They describe her as selfless, hardworking and someone you can always depend on.
"My sister is a real fighter," Slocum said.
Barker was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma back in 2007, an incurable cancer that impacts white blood cells. Despite getting it under control, she was diagnosed again in 2010.
Then in February of 2018, she found out she was also battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia -- a rare cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
"It’s a very serious, very aggressive cancer -- a lot of people don’t make it out of the hospital when they go through that," Slocum said. "It’s frustrating because you have to sit on the sidelines and let the medical teams do their thing and hope and pray that everything will go well."
Slocum says his sister has been one of his greatest support systems over the years. She even took in his children for a short time when he had his own battle with Leukemia. He says her family and community has always been one of the most important things to her.
"She just never stops," Slocum says. "Very involved in the community, going to church and helping with all kinds of charitable events."
Barker recently spent time at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston getting a bone marrow transplant. To help with the medical costs, her family created a GoFund Me page.
South Portland community members and others who know her recently made Barker a 'Get Well Soon' video.
"If you need anything you know you've got 50 some odd brothers and sisters here at the department that will do anything for you, so just reach out." those with the South Portland police department said in the video.
In addition to working at the police department, Barker also taught Criminal Justice courses at St. Joseph's College in Standish.
"Courage and hope is our motto at St. Joe's and Linda is really that model in everything that she has gone through." Dale Brooker said. Brooker is the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies at the college and has worked with Barker.
Barker couldn't continue with her teaching after the most recent cancer diagnosis which Brooker says really impacted her.
"She's selfless, that's the best way to characterize her, also doing for others," Brooker said. "When she couldn't teach anymore it was devastating to her because she holds teaching at such a high regard."
People like Dave Twombly, who works with her at the South Portland Police Department, says she is someone you always want on your team.
"Everybody is pulling for her, everybody in the police department," Twombly said. "She represents what the South Portland police department means -- they're just a very community oriented, just like Linda."
This sense of love and support is something Barker's brother believes will help her through the good and the bad days. Saying, he has no doubt she will beat this.
"She’ll have another 20 some odd years of health an opportunity to do what she’s always done," Slocum said. "And that’s to give of herself and try to make her life as well as everyone else’s better."