Lake In The Hills Cop Finds Positivity In Brain Surgery Recovery

LAKE IN THE HILLS, IL — A.J. Gazda can’t remember a time when he didn’t want to be a police officer but never ever considered the possibility that a career that he loves could be taken away from him when he least expected it.

But when a routine eye exam this spring turned into a health scare that neither the Lake In the Hills police officer nor his wife saw coming, the fact that Gazda can still look ahead to a future of returning to the force in time is a blessing that the local couple doesn't take lightly in the least.

Gazda, who has worked his way through the ranks of the Lake In the Hills Police Department over the past 15 years, remains on a day-to-day journey after having a brain tumor removed last month. The mass was discovered during a visit to a neurologist, confirming fears that first came up during that eye exam in early April. Although he continues to navigate what has, at times, been a hellish journey, a medical emergency that he knows could have been much worse has, instead, provided him with a different perspective of his daily existence.

Gazda, 30, had never experienced any major health issues besides a couple of broken bones. But when doctors referred him to a neurologist who then informed him that an MRI had shown the brain tumor, Gazda not only had to come to grips with the news himself but then had to figure out how to break the news to his wife, Kara Burroughs, who works as a police officer with the Carpentersville Police Department.

He knew that not only did the diagnosis affect him directly, but also would change the life of his wife, with whom he has shared a special bond — not only as husband and wife but as fellow police officers.

“It definitely rocked my world,” Gazda told Patch on Tuesday. “At 30 years old, it’s definitely not what you’re expecting. So, it was almost unreal.”

Without a background in medicine, Gazda suddenly had to figure out the best way to explain the diagnosis to his wife. He did so not completely understanding himself about what he was about to embark on but knew the severity of the situation called for honesty.

But as soon as he shared the news that took him time to work through, Gazda found that he had an amazing built-in support system that extended well beyond his immediate family.

Gazda underwent an 18-hour surgery nearly three weeks after doctors detected the brain tumor. Gazda says it took a couple of days for the anesthesia to completely wear off, beginning what would begin a long recovery process. During her husband’s lengthy surgery, Burroughs said she found herself pacing the hospital floor while being surrounded by 10-15 family members, friends, and colleagues at any given time.

Lake In The Hills Police Chief Mary Frake spent time comforting Burroughs by holding her hand, crying with her, and pacing the hospital halls while giving her the assurance that no matter how stressful the situation got, the couple’s police family wasn’t leaving her side.

“We were going through complete hell,” Burroughs said on Tuesday.

Following the procedure to remove most of the tumor, doctors told him he would need to undergo physical therapy in Chicago after he was released from intensive care. From in-person physical therapy, Gazda transitioned to outpatient care, which gave Gazda an indication of what his new reality moving forward would be like.

Gazda has worked as a police officer with the Lake In the Hills Police Department since 2019 after starting with the department’s explorer program in 2008. He then advanced to becoming a 911 dispatcher for several local police departments across McHenry County before being promoted to a Community Service Officer in 2017 and then as a full-fledged officer two years later.

In the weeks since his surgery in early May, Gazda has started to get some of his mobility back, albeit at a much slower pace. His movements have become more methodical, he said on Tuesday, which has forced him to look at his recovery and his daily activities in a new way. Because the tumor was found to be benign, Gazda won’t need to go to undergo any chemotherapy, which will allow him to continue with his life having put the worst of his health ordeal behind him.

The only noticeable lingering effect is a small bit of facial palsy on his left side. For Burroughs, watching her husband endure what he has in recent weeks has taken an emotional toll. But as Gazda prepares to return to desk duty with the police department soon and begins to work his way back to being a full-time street cop, the fact he has made so much progress in a relatively short amount of time is tough to put into words.

“It’s a relief to know that he’s here and he can actually do his dream job,” Burroughs told Patch on Tuesday. “He can actually be a police officer again because that’s all he has ever wanted to do is be a cop. That was the worst possible income — that he would have to give up his dream — and to have that taken away, that’s what we were honestly facing.

“Being a police officer as well, I knew how hard it was to face that reality. But we did it together …But it’s a relief to know that he is going to be able to hit the streets again and do what he loves ...and when that's ripped away, it just opens up your perspective and you find that so many other things in the world don't matter. It's (about) following your dreams, doing what you love, and everything going to end up working out one way or another."

To assist the couple, a fellow officer, Mike Boyce, has started a GoFundMe effort that, as of Wednesday, has raised more than $20,000 toward a $30,000 goal. The couple has watched as friends and relatives and their police colleagues they refer to as their “blue family” has walked with them at every turn. Neighbors have provided meals and the couple has found a way to care for their yard with the level of detail that Gazda demands.

Friends have started a Support Squad, which will soon include a T-Shirt that will be sold with the proceeds going to Gazda and Burroughs. The shirts include Gazda’s badge number inside a ribbon with a message that reads, “It’s brain surgery, not rocket science” — a quote attributed to Gazda after learning of the tumor.

Both Gazda and Burroughs have been touched by the level of support they have received. Gazda looks forward to the day when he can return to the police force — even on a limited basis to begin with. He knows that returning to work is a sign that his condition is improving and that one day, he will be able to completely return to his job as he once knew it.

But even in full-time service to his community, Gazda realizes things will still be different. But as long as he can carry out his duties, he knows he is where he was meant to be.

“(A new normal) is definitely something you have to come to grips with,” Gazda told Patch on Tuesday. “My whole thought process has always been, ‘I really don’t have a choice in this’ and so I’ll control what I can and whatever I can’t control, I’ll just let it be.

“So the new normal is that I can either be upset by it and be annoyed by it or I can look for the positive outcome in it. That’s kind of what I’m looking for, is the positive. …it could have ended up that I couldn’t be a police officer anymore and that would have been a huge negative. …So I choose to look at the positive.”