Deputy transforms cancer patient’s backyard into beautiful space

An east Naples woman, who has an aggressive form of cancer, had her backyard transformed from a depressing area into a beautiful outdoor space by volunteers led by a Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Saturday.

Cpl. Dean Peck, who works at the CCSO Financial Crimes Bureau, recently took flowers to a family friend in east Naples with aggressive cancer. Cpl. Peck left that day feeling he wanted to do more, the CCSO press release states. Knowing that one of her favorite pastimes was sitting in her yard to enjoy nature, he mentioned to a coworker that he was planning to spruce it up for her.

That coworker, CCSO Warrants Sgt. John Gogia, offered to help, starting by spreading the word to friends and co-workers. On Saturday, 15 volunteers, nine of whom are CCSO members, converged on her home with a pressure washer and 100 bags of mulch that they paid for themselves, per the release.

Over three-and-a-half hours, they turned the yard into a scenic place to relax and enjoy nature. In addition to spreading the mulch, they pressured washed her house and the brick pavers in her yard.