Carlisle EMS convoy held for ‘Officer Connor’

By McKenna Alexander

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    CARLISLE, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A Cumberland County community and the surrounding area are coming together to lift the spirits of a young boy diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain tumor.

Connor Taverna was given eight to 12 months to live when he was diagnosed two years ago. But the now-6-year-old has surpassed the odds and is among less than 10 percent of children surviving a year past the diagnosis.

“He has a heart of gold, he has the biggest smile,” said Cpl. Jamie DiMartile with the Carlisle Police Department. “He loves video games. We got him the ‘Buck Hunter’ game for Christmas.

He wanted an arcade game, so we got him that. But, I mean, he loves dinosaurs. He loves playing with his sister and his cousins. And we’re just doing this to show support to the family as they’re going through this tough time.”

Taverna was previously sworn in as an honorary Carlisle police officer in 2023. Now, he’s being honored as part of the department with a special EMS convoy held Monday night.

“Our unofficial motto for our police department is that, you know, no one fights alone,” DiMartile said. “We had two police officers in our department over the past couple of years pass away from cancer. And Connor is part of our family, and we’re here to support them as best we can.”

More than 70 vehicles from departments as far as Virginia helped out in the convoy.

“Officer Connor will always live on,” DiMartile said.

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