Here’s how you can help a Tempe Police officer fighting cancer

TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — A Tempe Police officer who has served the community for over 20 years is now facing the fight of his life.

Drew Nystrom, 51, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in December 2023. The same aggressive brain tumor that killed Senator John McCain.

“I was sitting here in the living room, I woke up in the chair, and there were about four firefighters and a couple of Apache Junction police officers running through the house, and I was just confused,” he said.

Drew had a seizure and fell to the ground. The first C-T scan didn’t catch anything, but a few weeks later, it happened again. The doctors ran more tests to get some answers.

“Everything was just fast-tracked. The surgeon came in and said, ‘There’s a tumor in Drew’s head that’s causing seizures, and we have to get it out. I knew right away the severity of it, but miracles and blessings happen every day,” Nystrom’s wife, Irish, said.

Drew knows you can’t predict how life unfolds. His love story with Irish is a prime example. They met when they were 18 years old, working at the Renaissance Festival. More than 15 years, kids and two divorces later, serendipity and social media brought them back together.

Those years apart, Drew went into law enforcement, a career that revealed his calling.

“It’s the perfect profession for him; I don’t think he would be happy doing anything else,” Irish said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a… ‘I didn’t sign up for this,’ moment with Drew.”

Not about his job then or his reality now.

After surgery, back-to-back radiation and chemotherapy and wearing a special device hooked to adhesive pads on his head that works 18 hours a day to shrink the cancer cells, the tumor is back.

“Our neurosurgeon did say that, you know, unfortunately, if you have to have a brain tumor, this is the best place to have it,” Irish said.

“Like real estate; location, location, location,” Drew said.

Choosing to laugh instead of cry, Drew’s humor, which won her over all those years ago, has sustained them through their worst days.

“He just knows when I’m having a rough time or a hard day. He knows when and where I need it, and it just feels like, you know, 1,000 pounds is lifted off my chest,” Irish said.

While they can’t predict what will happen next, the couple says they’re finding peace by savoring every second.

“He’s my little jokester. Keeps us laughing all the time, even when he’s the one going through it, he’s taking care of us,” Irish said.

Drew’s second surgery is slated for Oct. 7.

The Tempe Officer’s Association’s charitable arm, TOA Gives, is collecting donations for the Nystrom family. Click/tap here to help Drew fight Glioblastoma.

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