SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 – ALLEGAN, MI – As part of its Telmate Cares program, the San Francisco-based corrections company Telmate will deliver a financial  donation to support a local law enforcement member who is courageously battling cancer.

Deputy Brian Augustine didn’t think much of the sharp abdominal pain that started last Thanksgiving. But by April, the 22-year veteran of the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office could no longer tolerate the suffering. When he and his wife Jennifer went to the hospital, doctors immediately told him he had stage 4 colon cancer that not only metastasized to the liver–it was also not operable.

Augustine, who is an avid ice-fisherman, deer and turkey hunter and dedicated father of three, recalls his wife looked at him and said: “This just got real.” To battle an aggressive liver and colon tumor, he is currently undergoing an intensive 18-month chemotherapy regime called “Full-fox.” The treatment consists of four different chemicals, which set up a cancer roadblock to prevent it from spreading any further and to kill what is already there.

Augustine is currently on short-term disability and admits to really missing work. “I miss being on road patrol and being a field training officer,” he said, “and being with my second family– we’re a brotherhood.”

When a neighbor suggested they get a membership with Thin Blue Line of Michigan (TBL), Brian and Jennifer were pleasantly surprised to discover they weren’t alone in their journey. “I always thought TBL was for families who lost a loved one in the line of duty but they support people like us too,” Jennifer said.

The Thin Blue Line of Michigan has established a fund for the family, which is where Telmate will make its donation. Others interested in making individual contributions can do so through PNC Bank (Augustine Family Account #42-6798-5759). Checks can be sent to Thin Blue Line of Michigan, P.O. Box 415, Howell, MI 48844. Checks should be payable to TBL and “Augustine Family” should be written in the memo.

Telmate and Thin Blue Line of Michigan ask all law enforcement brothers of the Michigan Sheriff’s Association to submit donations to show support for Deputy Brian Augustine as he goes through this difficult journey. The Augustine family has also started a Facebook page, “Battle for Butter,” to update friends and family on his progress.

The Telmate Cares is a program created by Telmate with a mission to give back, honor and improve the lives of the people in the communities the company serves. For questions about the Telmate Cares program, please visit https://www.telmate.com/telmatecares/.

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Telmate is a leading provider of secure corrections and community corrections solutions including phone, tablet, visitation, messaging, education and entertainment content, corrections applications, investigator tools and GPS monitoring. Telmate’s cutting-edge platforms are deployed in over 300 correctional facilities in the U.S. and Canada. Telmate is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with employee presence nationwide. To find out more about Telmate, visit https://www.telmate.com.