Going the Distance

There’s not a Sunday morning that goes by that River Club resident Shari Medley isn’t inspired.

From the moment she first walks through the door of Living Lord Lutheran Church, until the final hymn has been sung, Medley can’t help but smile.

But it’s more than her faith that touches Medley’s heart every week. From her seat in the congregation, Medley glances over and watches as 10-year-old Joey Baar bounds down the aisle.

A huge smile spreads across his face as he eagerly waits for the service to begin. At first glance, Joey, who was born with Down syndrome, appears to be a typical little boy. But it’s what Joey’s battling on the inside — leukemia — that has captured Medley’s heart.

“He’s always smiling,” Medley said. “He’s such a happy little guy. He’s always bouncing. Even knowing he’s going through treatments and not feeling well, he still smiles. ... He’s fought his battle, and he’s been able to do it gracefully.”

DIAGNOSIS
In April 2008, Joey began limping; and after spending nearly three weeks in a cast for what doctors believed was an injured ankle, his limp didn’t improve. At the time, Joey couldn’t really communicate what he was feeling. It wasn’t until little red dots formed on his body that Joey’s mother, Mary Jo, suspected the worst. Joey’s parents took him for tests the following day, and on April 28, 2008, Joey was diagnosed with leukemia.

Since then, Joey has undergone daily chemotherapy treatments at home while also traveling up to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg once a month for more treatments.

As a result of his treatment, Joey has spent the past three years battling sinus infections and the exhaustion that comes along with chemotherapy.

“The chemotherapy wears him out,” said Jim Baar, Joey’s father. “The isolation part has been kind of rough. It changes your whole life. It’s a family illness.”

But luckily for Joey, the end may be near. On Aug. 12, the Willis Elementary School fourth-grader will undergo his final chemotherapy treatment. At that point, Joey will continue to receive monthly checkups to make sure his leukemia doesn’t return.

“Then, we get nervous because we just have to wait and see what happens,” Jim Baar said. “They say the date of remission is 30 days after diagnosis, and after five years, you can at least sleep at night.

“I never thought we’d be here,” he said. “I thought it was the end three years ago. It’s a financial burden, and it’s a psychological burden — it’s so hard to explain it. Every day, you just (pray) it’s a good day, and you hope you make it through it.”

INSPIRATION
Medley had never felt cancer’s impact directly until Joey bounced into her life. And last summer, when Medley was riding along the shores of Lake Michigan during the Scenic Shore 150 Bike Tour to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Wisconsin, her young friend’s face flashed in her mind.

As fellow riders passed with pictures on their backs of family and friends with leukemia, Medley made the decision to do the ride again — this time in honor of Joey.

“For cancer to be so widespread, (it seems) everyone has been touched by it in some way, but I hadn’t really,” Medley said. “I thought there’s this little boy at church, so next year I’m going to ride in honor of Joey.

“Everything he’s been through and to be able to keep fighting,” she said. “It’s amazing to me.”

This weekend, Medley will return to her native Wisconsin with her friend, Kathy, who initially got her involved in the ride, for the two-day, 150-mile bike ride. Medley will travel from Milwaukee to Sturgeon Bay in honor of Joey and her sister, Heidi, who recently was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“We thought it was a fantastic thing,” Jim Baar said of the ride. “It’s important to let people know leukemia’s a battle to beat. Kids go through a lot. Shari asked us to let Joey be the sponsor kid, and we thought ‘This is awesome.’”

An avid participant in triathlons, Medley had always wanted to do a long-distance bike ride. When the Scenic Shore 150 Bike Tour presented itself last summer, Medley jumped at the opportunity.

And the experience is one Medley will never forget.

“It was incredible,” Medley said. “It was the most amazing experience ever. There were more than 900 riders and just to see all of the pictures on the backs. To see all of those people raising money for cancer — it’s just a privilege to be a part of it.”

In preparation for the upcoming ride, Medley has taken spinning classes twice a week while also going for recreational bike rides several times a week.

But Medley isn’t focused on how quickly she can finish the 150-mile race. It’s about riding for a 10-year-old boy who has never had the chance to ride a bike of his own.

“I do it because I can,” Medley said. “There are people who can’t do it. We’re going to do it because we can and there are people out there who can’t.”

Those wishing to donate should visit wi.llsevent.org.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].