A community devastated by the loss of one of its RCMP officers is pulling together to help his wife and five children.
Turner Valley RCMP Const. Jeremy Perdue lost his battle against cancer on April 29, 11 months after he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
Once the community learned about the loss, friends, co-workers and even strangers began making meals, doing yard work and completing the family’s unfinished basement.
“It’s overwhelming,” said Kira Perdue, who had been married to Jeremy for 12 years. “My house is overrun with food. It’s been amazing.”
Jeremy underwent a bone marrow transplant in September following three rounds of chemotherapy, and had been doing well for months, said Kira.
The cancer relapsed on April 7.
“We went to the States for the first week - the two of us - to have some time together,” she said. “We came home and he ended up in the hospital. The next two weeks we were in and out of the hospital pretty much every day.”
The week before Jeremy died, the couple was planning to sell their Turner Valley home and move to Airdrie where Kira’s younger sister Brittany Taylor could help take care of the children as Jeremy and Kira expected to spend endless hours in the hospital.
“The doctors pretty much said that he would have two years max, that they could hold it off with chemo as long as possible,” Kira said.
Kira did not expect to lose Jeremy so quickly.
“They said his platelets were so low when his brain started bleeding it just couldn’t stop,” she said. “There was nothing they could do. It was as if he knew. He said to me, ‘Kira, you will be okay.’”
Kira believes Jeremy had some peace of mind knowing the community was so supportive of his family after several people brought meals, babysat their children and donated money to help the family make ends meet after he was first diagnosed with cancer.
“I think it helped put him at ease knowing how well taken care of we were,” she said. “He was blown away.”
Last fall the community raised money through a Go Fund Me account to help Kira purchase a new van. The family’s previous vehicle was becoming unreliable.
A lot of that help came from Turner Valley RCMP members, who are also suffering a huge loss.
“He was very dedicated to his kids and to his community,” said Sgt. Paulina Larrey-King. “He will be greatly missed.”
Just days after Jeremy’s passing, the community’s RCMP and peace officers got to work completing the Perdues’ unfinished basement, said Taylor on Monday.
“Jeremy’s co-workers ordered everything for the basement and the last two days they’ve been there all day just getting everything done,” she said. “It’s been quite wonderful.”
In the last few months Jeremy’s co-workers and friends helped him with the framing, walls and carpeting.
“Family and friends helped to do the bulk of the work,” Taylor said. “(Jeremy) puttered around and helped where he could. He was very thankful for the help that was lent to him getting that finished. Although he was feeling better he was never quite 100 per cent or had his full strength back.”
Taylor said she is amazed with how much the community helped her sister’s family.
“I want to say a huge thank you to the community and everyone from all of us,” she said. “I know Kira and the kids are very grateful. We just don’t know what the future holds financially. These are things we are going go have to figure out as we go.”
Those wishing to contribute to the Perdues Go Fund Me account, which has raised more than $13,000, can do so at gofundme.com/2t6rmpqc. Those wanting to help in any other way can email Brittany Taylor at [email protected]
