Giving back is badge of honor for Waxahachie officer
Serving the community is both a professional and personal mission for Officer James “J.T.” Taylor with the Waxahachie Police Department.
He has worked in law enforcement for more than 15 years, joining the Waxahachie force in 2009. In his current role as Community Services Officer, James actively manages citizen outreach programs such as neighborhood watches, self-defense classes, active shooter training, the Guardian Program to assist residents with special needs, and events for local children, including Cops and Kids Picnics, Breakfast with a Cop and Shop with a Cop, among many others.
James is also the department’s coordinator of local Carter BloodCare blood drives, including the annual Battle of the Badges.
He leads by example as a longtime Carter BloodCare donor. At the end of 2025, James will have a lifetime donation total of 50 gallons, enough to support 1,200 patients in urgent need of transfusions.
“I’ve committed to donating platelets at Carter BloodCare to give back,” he said.
Platelets are vital in treating cancer patients, a battle that spurred James’ donor mission.
In 2007, at the age of 31, James was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Nearly 10,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year and 1 in 250 will be diagnosed during their lifetime.
Although 99% of the cancers are treatable if detected in their initial stages, James’ case was extremely aggressive.
“I thought I was invincible. There was no genetic link of cancer in my family, but my cancer went from stage 1 to stage 4 in less than 30 days,” James said.
It metastasized in his right lung, requiring major surgeries and several blood transfusions.
The path to recovery was difficult, James said, with multiple medical tests, daily chemotherapy and frequent platelet transfusions.
“But I have been and always am a positive person. My worldview is to look for the best in the worst,” James said. “I try to remain happy and inspire others to love the life that you have been given.
“That was my outlook. Every day that I was breathing was a blessing.”
In October 2008, after a challenging year of health setbacks, James received the welcome news that he was cancer-free.
“To this day, the oncologist refers to me as his miracle, and I believe I am. I could have been another casualty to testicular cancer, but God had other plans for me,” James said.
He next fulfilled his dream of becoming a police officer and dedicated himself to inspiring and helping others.
“I was given so much blood when I went through my surgeries that I felt compelled to give to others as it was given to me,” James said. “Blood, platelets and plasma are not made. They have to be given. Blood banks are always low, but it only takes a moment of your time to donate to save another.”
In addition to consistent blood donations, James and his colleagues in the Waxahachie Police Department help cancer survivors throughout the community by supporting resources for information and research.
“I am committed to spreading awareness so that no one fights alone. I do not want anyone to go through the battle I faced,” James said. “I am committed to helping others in my job as a police officer and it is the way that I live my life.”
Resources
Texas patients need you. Please donate this week at your neighborhood Carter BloodCare mobile blood drive or donor center. When you do, you’ll get a Donor Appreciation Gift.
And there’s another way you can help: If you’ve ever received a transfusion, your patient experience can motivate others to donate and save lives. All you have to do is simply Tell Us Your Story.