Louisville police officer juggles work and family as 2-year-old son battles stage 4 cancer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Police officers are there on some people's worst days. But for one Louisville Metro Police officer, he doesn't go home after work.

He goes to Norton Children's Hospital to be with his son who has stage 4 cancer.

As he balances wearing the badge, being a husband and a father, the community can now help support him during his worst days.

Montana Green is battling stage 4 cancer. (Family photo)

"Ever since Montana was born he's been a smiler," Malliccaaii Green said.

But behind that smile is a lot of life already lived for a 2 year-old.

Montana went to the hospital on his first birthday with a fever only to learn several days later he was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma.

"Montana has stage 4 cancer. So with that, the cancer has spread to multiple sections of his body," Green said. "His ribs, his collar bone, down on both lymph nodes on his stomach."

His dad, Malliccaaii Green, is a 10 year LMPD officer.

"He goes and serves us everyday," said Rebecca Grignon Reker, Executive Director of the Louisville Metro Police Foundation. "He comes to our worst days and then he goes to the hospital and sits with his baby and his wife."

The police foundation and Green's fellow officers are hosting a fundraiser called "Hope for Montana" with the goal of raising money for the family.

"Having the arms of the community around you lifts you up so much," Grignon Reker said.

Green's wife quit her job to take care of their children and has spent months at the hospital.

Montana had a 10-by-4 inch tumor removed, six cycles of chemotherapy and two cycles of a bone marrow transplant.

"For that it broke his body down just beyond imaginable," Green said. "There was blood coming from his mouth, he lost all of his hair, he lost all movement in his body pretty much. He was glued to the bed."

That was followed by radiation and immunotherapy.

As tough as is is for the parents, Montana's siblings love their brother dearly.

"My kids ask me on a daily basis, 'I don't want my brother to die,'" Green said. "'Can you please not let my brother die.' That's kind hard hearing from a 6 and 7-year-old."

Once his treatments are over, the Green family is looking forward to the little things.

"We can't wait until we're able to take him swimming," Green said. "He's 2 now and we still haven't been able to get him in a pool and he loves water."

But until then, its that little smile so full of joy despite the rollercoaster of life, that keeps his parents going.

"He was giving us thumbs up," Green said. "You know, that's what's reassuring us that everything is going to be OK. He's not worried about it so why are we worried about it."

The "Hope for Montana" fundraiser will be Saturday, October 19 from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. There will be a silent auction, buffet dinner, bounce houses, cornhole, beer tent and bar, and the band Caribou will take the stage at 6 p.m.

To buy tickets in advance or to donate to the fundraiser, click here.