BOSTON -- A police detective from halfway across the country has come to Boston for treatment to save her life.

NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported that Jaclyn Martindale is a mother of two from Pontiac, Mich., who has a rare and potentially deadly form of bone cancer.

Martindale, 28, said her spirit and prognosis are good, thanks in part to the overwhelming support and kindness of strangers.

Martindale said she misses her two young children. She had to leave them at home in Michigan to come to Boston to beat the rare cancer in her skull.

"It is hard -- they are 3 and 5 -- and they don't understand completely," she said.

Massachusetts General Hospital is one of three hospitals in the country with the proton-therapy treatment doctors said is Martindale's only hope.

"This is indeed, virtually, the only option to achieve control of her tumor," Dr. Norbert Liebsch said.

When Martindale's insurance company refused to pay for the treatment, the Fraternal Order of Police stepped in to help one of their own. Rachel Larson offered up the vacant apartment left to her when her aunt died of colon cancer last fall.

"My aunt was a giver. I'm a giver, so it seemed like the best possible thing to offer right now," Larson said.

And the Boston Police Department is providing transportation so Martindale can get to her treatments at Mass General.

"We do whatever we can to help out whenever we can and it was really a no-brainer," said Arnie Larson, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police.

They are also providing food and entertainment, including taking Martindale to Fenway Park to cheer on the Red Sox and take her mind off of her troubles.

"I can't even tell you how grateful we are, and humbled for all that they've done for us," Martindale said.

Martindale has eight weeks of treatment in Boston before she returns to Michigan. Doctors at Mass General are optimistic the proton therapy will improve her outcome. They said its success rate is in the 90 percent range.