Special agent’s battle against breast cancer ignites community support

After serving her community for 20 years — giving her all to keep them safe — Special Agent Christa Groom is learning to let other people take care of her. 

“It’s always hard for us to accept help from people, but at some point, you just have to let them do what they’re going to do,” said Christa Groom, a special agent with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations. “It’s like a brotherhood… or sisterhood. I love these guys we all started together.”

Whether it’s responding to shots fired or solving one of Picayune’s biggest cold cases — Christa Groom has always been there. So, it’s no surprise that her former coworkers leaped into action when she told them she had breast cancer. 

The real surprise: Groom seemed more worried about missing work than her diagnosis. 

“The first thing… when I found out I had breast cancer… we were just getting our LawFit team for highway patrol trained because we compete every year,” she said. “I was like ‘Man, I’m not going to get to do LawFit this year.'”

This dedication from Groom shows exactly why the community is supporting her through treatment. 

“Christa is well known. We’re very proud of Christa becoming a Mississippi Highway Patrol state trooper,” said Pearl River Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Freddy Drennan. “The fact that she’s assigned to the governor’s wife as part of her security team, speaks volumes for the work Christa has done and advanced in her law enforcement career.”

In a way, Groom feels that hard work has prepared her for this challenge. 

“You know, you have to be mentally strong just to have a career in law enforcement, so I think that’s kind of helped me too,” Groom said. “You always see the bad stuff about law enforcement, and it makes the 20 years kinda worth it just to see how much the community gives back to you when you’ve probably wrote the majority of them a speeding ticket at one time.”