An eight-year-old Duson boy thought his parents were playing an April fools joke when they told him he would become a police officer today. 

Police officers who take the oath of faith represent bravery and the will to fight. That’s two things the Duson Police Department saw in 8-year-old Camden Barnard who’s now officially part of the blue line family.

After an official oath by Louis Perrett at the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court and signing the dotted lines, Barnard realized this was not a joke.

“This morning I woke up and he told me,” said Camden pointing and laughing with his dad. 

His strength captured the heart of the Duson Police Department. His family and the department waited for the right time and decided to help him prepare for the biggest battle of his life. 

“Kick cancer in the butt,” said Camden with excitement. His dad, Pat Barnard, expressed how their lives changed when he was diagnosed with Leukemia in September of 2018. 

“We’ve seen him not like this. We’ve seen him in the hospital bed since September. So, he’s probably been in the hospital for two months altogether,” said Barnard. 

Watching his face light up when putting on his uniform, has become even more motivation for the department to pack his belt with all the tools he’ll need. “He doesn’t have a gun. He has a germ mask. He doesn’t have handcuffs. He has hand sanitizers. He’s got everything he needs to handle his fight,” said Duson Police Cheif Kip Judice. 

After warming up to the idea of taking on this huge duty, Camden said he’s ready to win with the secret weapons inside his ‘special officer’ belt. 

“If this makes it a little easier on him. It might make the whole difference in his fight,” said Judice. 

Camden continues to fight as he heads to more chemotherapy treatments. Anyone interested in making a donation to Camden can reach out to the Miles Perrett Cancer Center.