Now cancer-free, Granite Shoals 7-year-old promoted to police detective

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Isa Solorzano holds a special place in Chief John Ortis’ heart. And in the hearts of all who work for Granite Shoals Police Department, for that matter, Ortis shared.

The first grader has been on the force as an honorary officer since 2022, when she was going through treatment for neuroblastoma, a form of cancer. As of Tuesday, she’s been promoted to detective — and is cancer-free.

In addition to bestowing on her a new, custom-made uniform and swearing her in at the city council meeting, the police department also unveiled a patrol car with a design supporting those fighting childhood cancer.

It “was amazing of them to do,” said Isa’s father, Orlando. He said Isa recently had her 9-month post-treatment scans and there is no evidence of disease.

Supporting Isa

Granite Shoals is a tight-knit Burnet County community northwest of Austin and less than 10 miles from Marble Falls.

“We take care of our community,” Ortis said. “Everyone has a place in our community.”

Chief Ortis said he’s known Orlando since he was in high school. When the pandemic first hit in 2020, officers on the force would drive by with lights on and horns honking to help celebrate the birthdays of children in the community, including Isa.

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“She’s a great kid. She always has a smile on her face,” Ortis said.

Not long after, Orlando told Ortis Isa had a lump on the side of her throat, which turned out to be cancer. They went to Dallas for treatment but had to pay for hotels because the Ronald McDonald House was closed because of COVID-19 at that time.

Ortis said one of his detectives, Alan Miley, had the idea of doing a brisket fundraiser for the family to help with costs. They became close — Miley even let Isa shave his head to match hers as she started chemotherapy, Ortis said.

“She and Detective Miley have a special relationship,” Ortis said. “That’s ‘her partner,’ she said.”

Miley also reached out to other police departments for ideas on how to support Isa, including making a blanket of police patches from across Texas.

Then one day, “Miley said, ‘Let’s get a badge made and make her an honorary officer,'” Ortis recalled. The company that makes the Granite Shoals Police Department’s badges made her one, and they presented it and a jumpsuit to her at a city council meeting in 2022.

Miley was there two weeks ago when she rang the bell at her clinic, celebrating her being free of cancer, Ortis said.

So it only made sense to give her a promotion to celebrate, Ortis said, and a new uniform: tan slacks, a black polo, a badge holder, boots.

And another surprise: the patrol car with a ribbon graphic, the brainchild of another member of the force, which Ortis said they’d been hiding for the past two weeks.

“Because kids can’t fight cancer alone,” a part of the design shows.

Isa already has her own designs on joining the force in Granite Shoals someday, Ortis said.

“She asked the other day where her desk was going to be.”

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