During an interview in his office at the Lincoln Police Station Monday afternoon, Lincoln Police Sgt Phil Gould who is in the process of donating bone marrow, responds to questions about his experiences which led to him becoming a donor.   Times Photo/Ernest A. Brown

By JON BAKER

LINCOLN — Police Sgt. Philip Gould admitted Monday afternoon he felt rather lethargic, that he was suffering from mild head and body aches — call them flu-like symptoms.

As he sat in his office analyzing police data on his computer, he claimed he probably should be home sleeping, but felt a duty to be at headquarters. Still, neither Chief Brian Sullivan nor his colleagues told him to “Get some rest” or “Take it easy.”
Gould understood why: He, in fact, wasn’t ill, but instead experiencing the effects of five days of being plucked and prodded by needles at the Rhode Island Blood Center in Providence.
These were hardly standard blood donations, but for something more serious. After officials had found him to be a perfect match for someone worldwide afflicted with leukemia, they had called upon him to donate his bone marrow.
He agreed.
The lengthy procedure ended Tuesday afternoon, and he offered two emotions: Relief and satisfaction.
“I feel much better today, the reason being my white blood cell count is down to normal,” stated Gould, at 39 a 16-year veteran of the department. “Hey, I’ve been harvested!”
See GOULD, Page A-2
Noted Sullivan: “Phil took only a total of one day off -- Monday and (Tuesday) mornings, and then he was back here in the afternoon. That’s just the way he operates. I didn’t talk to him about the procedures and those things, but I understand it’s a very painful process.
“The thing is, the type of people who come into law enforcement want to contribute; they like to help in any way possible,” he added. “I’ve been on this force in some form since 1982, and I don’t recall an officer doing something like this, but it doesn’t surprise me.”
At sometime today, Gould said Tuesday, his stem cells (bone marrow) would be injected into a needy person somewhere around the globe, one plagued with leukemia. He maintained hope his donation would allow the man or woman to survive.

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How Gould happened upon this process isn’t unusual, said Doreen Travers, coordinator of the RIBC’s Marrow Donor Program. It was about this time three years ago, while acting as Lincoln High’s varsity volleyball coach, when he first heard about such a drive being conducted at the Boys & Girls Club of Cumberland-Lincoln. Then-vice prinicpal Kevin McNamara had told him he knew of a local youth suffering from cencer, and desperately needed aid.
“I filled out all the necessary forms at the drive, and then they took mouth swabs so they could analyze our DNA in order to help the kid,” Gould stated. “We were told that if we matched anyone, we’d get a phone call from the center. I never received one.”
Gould readily admitted the thought never really entered his mind again -- until he received a fateful call in early July.
“I had been at lunch, and someone at the center had left a message for me at work,” he offered. “A woman named Doreen explained I had come up on the national donor list as a possible match for someone.
She told me what was going on, and asked me if I could go back to the blood center to give another sample. I did, and they gave me a lot of information about … the national search and the process. I also was told they had tested a lot of people over the course of a month, and there was a one-in-a-million chance I’d be a perfect match.
“When I went home that night, and told my wife, Jill, there was a small chance I’d be called upon to donate, she thought it was great,” he added. “She’s always all for helping people, and she was 100 percent behind it … When I got another call saying, ‘You’re the guy!’ I admit I was startled, and a little worried, but then I thought, ‘This is good.’ I started getting excited about it. I thought I was walking around with a cure to help this person’s leukemia.”

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Gould nevertheless noted he gained inspiration in a variety of ways, though three came to mind: About two years ago, doctors found a cancerous tumor in the calf of one of his triplet brothers, Harding, now a Burrillville resident.
“I talked to him, and he told me (doctors) had prepared him for a big battle,” Gould said solemnly. “He and Doug and myself had grown up together, sleeping on bunk beds and later going out on dates with girls at Burrillville High. I remember thinking there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to help save his life.”
Then came a discussion with Sullivan.
“When he first told me about the possibility, he said he was considering it, and I told him it was something he had to do,” the chief explained. “I said, ‘After all, cancer is something that happens in virtually every family.’ I asked him, ‘What if a relative of mine, or yours, had been diagnosed with the same thing and needed a bone-marrow donor? Wouldn’t you want someone to step forward?’”
That’s when Gould’s thoughts drifted back to Harding.
Finally, he discussed the idea with Amy Vincenzi, wife of buddy Lt. Scott Vincenzi.
“She had tried three times before, but never was a match,” Gould grinned. “When she found out I did, she said, ‘Phil, that’s so cool! It’s amazing, and I’m proud of you. You’re doing a great thing. I’m envious’ … That’s when it became a ‘no-brainer.’”

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As for the process, Travers created a “blood-work” appointment for Gould about nine weeks ago, and then he underwent a complete physical. This past Thursday, he was given injections into his upper arms to raise his white blood count, and -- this weekend -- trekked back for more. Those would lift the count to six times the normal level.
The onset of aches arrived quickly..
At 8:30 a.m., Monday, he received another shot. Sixty minutes later, personnel hooked him to what he called a centrifugal machine that sifted his white blood cells. In all, he said, 12 liters of blood left and re-entered his body.
“Those white cells are, in fact, stem cells,” he said. “Because I was this person’s perfect match, when those cells are injected inside his body, they will assimilate to his makeup. Remember, this person has been beaten down with chemotherapy and treatment, and that actually kills the marrow. The good news is, because of all the tests with me, his body should accept my stem cells.”
Travers indicated bone marrow recipients must remain anonymous for two reasons: First, it’s a medical procedure, and, second, there are occasions when a patient will need additional support following the initial transplant.
“If the donor doesn’t want to go through it again, then the patient would already know who the donor is, and that could cause problems,” she said.
That doesn’t faze Gould.
“I’m a big believer in karma, so why wait until you’re the person who’s wishing that you could find a match?” he said. “I would’ve done it anyway, but thinking about my brother, what he went through, made it easier. I wanted to help while somebody could be helped.
“I couldn’t have done this without the support of my family, the chief or town administration, including (personnel director) Joanne McManus,” he continued. “Everyone has been fantastic. They allowed me to rearrange my schedule. For that, I’m grateful. I’ll also say I was impressed with the professionalism, compassion and enthusiasm of those at the center. You come across people who do their jobs because they have to. There, they do their jobs because they love them.”
Gould encouraged anyone interested in registering with the RIBC to call (401) 453-8564.