HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio — Hamilton County Sheriff's Corporal Justin Schaefer was on duty working at the Cleves Police Department in late May when he suddenly had a concerning episode where he became unresponsive.
It didn't last long, but some of Schaefer's coworkers noted the odd incident.
"He just kind of spaced out, snapped back out of it 30 seconds later and felt fine," said Sheriff's Corporal Matt Alexander.
Alexander said he and Schaefer have been friends for more than a decade. And they're not just buddies at work — the two even own Bengals season tickets together.
"A lot of guys are, you know, quiet," Alexander said. "Not Justin. You know when he's in the room, you know when he's here."
Alexander said he didn't see what happened during Schaefer's episode, but word quickly spread to him.
"They called me like, 'Hey, something happened, something wasn't right,'" Alexander said.
Hear more about what happened to Schaefer and how the community is rallying behind him in the video below:
Alexander's close bond with Schaefer is why, he said, he didn't let it go.
"Me being me, he knows I'm persistent," Alexander said. "I'm a persistent dude, and I'm going to keep bugging him, 'Hey, did you go get that checked out yet? Did you go get that looked at?'"
Eventually, Schaefer did get it checked out and received the news no one wanted to hear.
He was diagnosed with a brain tumor known as astrocytoma and had surgery just days later.
"It's terrifying," Alexander said. "You just never know, and I think about his family, his kids, his wife."
Alexander said Schaefer's wife had to take unpaid leave to be able to care for her husband. That's why he created a GoFundMe page to pool together some money to help them out. As of Wednesday evening, the page has surpassed $21,000.
"Seeing the GoFundMe blow up like it did, and just knowing that people care for us, for him, his family, I think it speaks volumes for our community," Alexander said.
Alexander said he hopes to help relieve the stress of finances for Schaefer and his family.
"Don't worry about the bills," Alexander said. "Don't worry about that. We got it. That's my vision."
Alexander said, even through these tough times, Schaefer's spirits have remained high.
"It was cool to see right after surgery, I was there waiting for him and he came out Justin — loud, obnoxious and being himself," Alexander said. "I was like, 'You just had brain surgery and you're out here recovering?' That's awesome, like that's him, he's a trooper."
In addition to the GoFundMe he started, Alexander said there is also a fundraiser for Schaefer 1-5 p.m. on July 13 at Dead Low Brewing.
