CHP Rally In Gilroy On Tuesday For Hero Officer Battling Cancer

By PAIGE AUSTIN (Patch Staff)

GILROY - A father of two girls, a triathlon athlete who runs law enforcement’s annual Baker-to-Vegas race, and a police officer known for taking rookies under his wing, it came as no surprise when California Highway Patrol Officer Keith Meter agreed to donate his bone marrow to a cancer-stricken girl in Boston he’d never even met.

But what happened next was a complete shock.

During the donation process, doctors discovered that Meter was suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare cancer of the bone marrow. Now he needs a bone marrow transplant to save his life, and the CHP community up and down the state is stepping up with a series of bone marrow drives this week.

“There is no cure for what I have, and the only cure would be to get the bone marrow transplant,” Meter told CBS.

The 18-year CHP veteran wouldn’t have known he was sick if it weren’t for his willingness to donate his bone marrow in 2014.

“I ignored the fact that they told me to go to the doctor because I felt fine,” he admitted.

Meter’s friends and fellow officers couldn’t believe it either.

“It is shocking, but if there is anyone who could beat this, it would be him,” said CHP Lt. Scott Moorhouse, who is on a mission to get as many donors as possible registered. “It’s personal for me. First and foremost, he’s my friend. He was in my wedding. We were at the academy at the same time almost 20 years ago.”

Moorhouse describes his friend in the same terms many in the CHP use to describe Meter: strong and self-sacrificing.

“He’s a real selfless person,” Moorhouse said. “He doesn’t even have to know you, he is one of those people who will literally give the shirt off his back for you.”

A San Clemente resident, Meter also works as a lifeguard and has saved many lives as a CHP officer and as a lifeguard, said Moorhouse. He once helped yank a jumper dangling from an overpass, holing him by his ankle until the man could be pulled to safety.

“When I first started this job back in 2008 he was my training officer,” said CHP Officer Florentino Olivera.

“To this day I believe he is the best officer I ever worked with. He’s a hard worker. He always puts others before himself. He makes sure everyone around him is taken care of before himself.”

Community members are encouraged to come out for his week’s CHP bone marrow drive all throughout the state. The donation involves a simple cheek swab. Your DNA goes into the national registry where you have a 1 in 540 chance of being the right match for someone in need, according to Be The Match.

According to his supporters, there’s no-telling how many lives you would end up saving when you save someone like Meters.

The drives statewide are:

March 14:

• Bakersfield, CA, Bakersfield CHP Area Office, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, 4040 Buck Owens Drive Bakersfield, CA
• Fresno, CA, Fresno CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 1382 W. Olive Ave Fresno, CA
• Visalia, CA, Visalia CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 5025 W. Noble Visalia, CA

March 15:

• Fairfield, CA, Solano CHP Area Office, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 3050 Travis Blvd Fairfield, CA
• Redwood City, CA Redwood City CHP Area Office, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 355 Convention Way Redwood City, CA

• Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Rancho Cucamonga CHP Area Office, 8:00 AM – 12 PM, 9530 Pittsburgh Ave Rancho Cucamonga, CA
• Gilroy, CA, Hollister-Gilroy CHP Area Office, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 740 Renz Lane Gilroy, CA
• Yuba City, CA, Yuba-Sutter CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 1619 Poole Blvd Yuba City, CA
• San Luis Obispo, CA, CHP Coastal Division Office, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 4115 Broad Street, Suite B-10 San Luis Obispo, CA
• King City, CA, King City CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 625 Division Street King City, CA
• San Diego, CA, CHP Border Division Office, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 9330 Farnham Street San Diego, CA
• Westminster, CA, Westminster CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 13200 Goldenwest Street Westminster, CA
• Redding, CA, Bloodsource, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, 1880 Park Marina Drive, Redding, CA
• Goleta, CA, Santa Barbara CHP Area Office, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM, 6465 Calle Real Goleta, CA

March 16

• Martinez, CA, Contra Costa CHP Area Office, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 5001 Blum Road Martinez, CA
• Dublin, CA, Dublin CHP Area Office, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 4999 Gleason Drive Dublin, CA
• Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles CHP Communications Center, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 2901 Broadway Los Angeles, CA
• El Cajon, CA, Grossmont Community College, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, 8800 Grossmont College Drive El Cajon, CA
• Chico, CA, Chico CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 995 Fir Street Chico, CA
• Indio, CA, Indio CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 79650 Varner Road Indio, CA
• San Juan Capistrano, CA, Capistrano CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 32951 Camino Capistrano San Juan Capistrano CA
• Eureka, CA, Northern California Community Blood Bank, 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM, 2524 Harrison Ave, Eureka, CA
• Barstow, CA, Barstow Community College, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 2700 Barstow Road Barstow, CA
• Gardena, CA, Calvary Chapel South Bay, 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM, 19300 South Vermont Avenue Gardena, CA

Mar 17

• Ventura, CA, Ventura CHP Area Office, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 4656 Valentine Road Ventura, CA
• Santa Ana, CA, Santa Ana CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 2031 East Santa Clara Ave Santa Ana, CA
• Vista, CA, Oceanside CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 435 Tortuga Drive Vista, CA
• Atwater, CA, Merced CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 1500 Bell Drive Atwater, CA
• Willows, CA, St. Monicas Catholic Church, 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM, 1129 West Wood Street Willows, CA
• Riverside, CA, Riverside CHP Area Office, 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM, 8118 Lincoln Avenue, Riverside, CA

March 18

• San Jose, CA, San Jose CHP Area Office, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 2020 Junction Ave San Jose, CA
• Blythe, CA, Blythe City Building, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, 235 North Broadway Blythe, CA
• Temecula, CA, Temecula CHP Area Office, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, 27685 Commerce Center DriveTemecula, CA
• Rohnert Park, CA, Santa Rosa CHP Area Office, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 6100 La Bath Ave Rohnert Park, CA
• San Diego, CA, Balboa Park, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 1825 Park Blvd San Diego, CA

Photos: Courtesy of the CHP and caringbridge.org