LAPD’s 1st Latina Commander, Cancer Survivor Marches in Rose Bowl Parade
*Great story that cuts across all ethnic, cultural and racial lines. VL
By Brian Latimer, NBC News (3 minute read) 
Los Angeles Police Department Commander Anne Clark is the first Latina to hold that job in the force, and she made this historic accomplishment while undergoing radiation therapy to battle cancer. In Monday’s iconic Rose Bowl Parade, Commander Clark is marching to draw attention to the disease and thank those who have helped her.
In August 2014, doctors found a mass in Clark’s chest. She was diagnosed with stage-1 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The cancer diagnosis was scary, especially for her young son. Clark underwent four months of chemotherapy, then follow-up radiation therapy. It was grueling, and she suffered from massive headaches and barely was able to eat. But the treatment was successful and she has been in remission ever since.
“If you’re going to have cancer, it’s a good one to have,” Clark joked. “It is my understanding that it is one of the most well studied forms of cancer, and the standard of care and treatment is well established.”
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While in the last legs of her treatment in February 2015, Clark learned that after nearly 30 years with the LAPD, she had been promoted to Commander, the first Hispanic woman to hold this position in the force.
[Photo courtesy of NBC News]
