To hear veteran NYPD Det. Thomas Cerbone tell it, a recent 9/11 -linked kidney cancer diagnosis was “just a bump in the road” of a proud 42-year legacy as one of New York’s Finest.

Cerbone, 62, a motorcycle cop and the senior active uniformed member on the force, did more than serve the community — he changed the lives of some of the Big Apple’s most vulnerable children.

It’s been 12 years since he founded the annual Santa Day at the Seton Foundation for Learning, a Staten Island school for kids with special needs. And the tradition continues to this day.

“When I was put up for detective, there were 10 officers up and only one from Highway 5, and I got it,” he told The Post. “When that happened I said I got to pay this forward. I got to do something to give back. And I went to go see

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