Waukesha County deputy battling cancer, fundraiser planned

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - The community is rallying around a Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department deputy as he battles cancer.

The backstory:

Steve Lyles has served Waukesha County for nearly 20 years. Currently a member of the Firearms Unit and Defensive and Arrest Tactics unit, in addition to his normal duties, Lyles also served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps.

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For the past five years, Lyles has been battling papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC), a type of kidney cancer.

"It was right before Thanksgiving in 2019," Lyles said. "I went to the gym and I wasn’t feeling well. I went home and I started hyperventilating."

Steve Lyles

Treatment begins

What they're saying:

Lyles went to the emergency room at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center. Doctors initially thought he had blood clots in both his lungs.

"Then I remember getting rushed into one of the emergency rooms and I must have passed out," he said. "I woke up the following morning in the ICU."

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Dig deeper:

Doctors found a mass on Lyles' left kidney. He calls it a "rare, aggressive cancer." He was 47 years old when diagnosed. Through it all, he kept working.

"In 2020, I had a surgery to remove the kidney itself. After that, I went back to work full time," Lyles said. "It’s been great support with the sheriff’s department. They treat me very well. I’m just lucky. I’m blessed."

Lyles said he started a medical trial in June 2020, consisting of intravenous therapy and medications. During the summer of 2024, doctors told him those treatments failed.

Steve Lyles in court with Darrell Brooks

"Since then, I’ve been looking for another treatment. I finally found one. I went to Boston," Lyles explained. "Right now, I’m just waiting for that medication." 

Lyles said the cancer has spread to his lung and abdomen.

"Now I’m starting a new journey with a new medicine in hopes it will be a long journey," he said. "But my understanding – it could be a journey of three months or five years. Really, it’s just body dependent. We’ll see what happens."

Support for deputy

What you can do:

The Waukesha Deputy Charities Association set up a GoFundMe to help Lyles cover travel expenses. He is going to New York in two weeks for a new treatment at the Sloan Kettering cancer institute. 

A benefit – "Pints for a Purpose" – will take place Feb. 22 at Steel Tank Brewing in Oconomowoc. The event runs from 1-4 p.m., and the community is encouraged to attend.

What they're saying:

In a statement from the Waukesha Deputy Charities Association, leaders said:

"Steve [Lyles] has been courageously fighting cancer without ever complaining or asking for anything. [Lyles] is someone who would go out of his way to help his family, friends, and community. We are now asking the community to come together to do the same for [Lyles] and his family. Together we can help to support them while they deal with the difficulty of travel and medical expenses related to his treatment."

"Pints for a Purpose" at Steel Tank Brewing

Lyles said he is grateful for the support.

"I can’t control the path that I walk on, right?" he said. "If you enjoy your life, no matter how much time you have left, you’re going to win, and it will be just fine."