Jacey's Race offers youths, families a welcome boost

SANDPOINT — For the four young beneficiaries of this year’s Jacey’s Race, the event means a lot more than a chance for a fun Sunday.

Joshua Holub, 6; Olivia Morton, 4; Christina McClelland, 12; and Gillian Billingsley, 11; all suffer from very different medical conditions. However, they have one thing in common — they and their families will be receiving financial help in dealing with those conditions.

According to Joshua’s parents, Rich and Lena Holub, they’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after years of treatment for Ewing’s sarcoma, a soft-tissue tumor that typically doesn’t emerge in kids his age. The condition first became apparent around Joshua’s fourth birthday, when they noticed lumps on their son’s head.

When Joshua showed signs of sickness, the Holubs took him in for an examination. It took some time to diagnose the condition, but once it was identified as a malignant tumor, doctors advised them to act quickly. Joshua began chemotherapy treatments in June two years ago. By the time he had completed the therapy, he was down to 30 pounds.

“He was a pretty sick little guy,” Rich Holub said.

Now that Joshua is on the road to recovery, his natural personality comes through a lot more frequently. Like any 6-year-old, he takes great pride in his achievements rough-housing with his older brother.

“One time, I was able to hold him down for about five seconds,” he said.

Olivia, on the other hand, has a longer fight ahead of her in the battle against, JRA — a form of juvenile arthritis. Her condition, which affects only 300,000 individuals worldwide, is usually split into two categories. About half suffer from arthritis their entire lives, while the other half develop some other form of autoimmune disorder. According to her doctors, Olivia is one of two cases that tested positive for both categories.

The disorder typically manifests itself as painful inflammation of the joints. They can be severe enough to limit her ability to walk — in fact, Olivia wears leg braces to correct damage from the disorder. To combat these inflammations, she receives weekly injections and is preparing to undergo joint infusions.

“Olivia is a fighter,” said Catherine Morton, her mother. “I’ve seen her in pain with tears streaming down her face, and she still says, ‘I’m going to go out and ride my bike.’”

Born with a congenital heart defect, Christina’s disorder tends to affect her more intermittently — but when it does show up, the symptoms can be dramatic. She had her first open heart surgery only a week after her birth when the condition was diagnosed. By the age of 6, she’s charted a total of three open heart surgeries. The problem was always the same — parts of her heart weren’t growing at the appropriate rates, which led to difficulties in pumping oxygenated blood.

Last summer, Christina was diagnosed with a bacterial infection in the heart. The illness resulted in a round of hospitalization, antibiotic treatments and the installation of a PICC line for her treatments. The most frustrating thing for Christina was that the line prevented her from participating in the Long Bridge Swim as she’d planned. She intends to make up for lost time this year, according to her parents Karen and Allen McClelland.

The complications from the infection resulted in her fourth open heart surgery. Because of extensive scar tissue from previous treatments, the procedure was complicated, but Christina made a full recovery. According to her cardiologist, she’ll likely need a cardiac catheterization and possibly a stent to treat her condition in the near future, but it’s not an immediate necessity.

“He wants her to have a good summer, so he says we can wait until September,” Karen McClelland said.      

Gillian wasn’t able to be present for any interviews due to her treatments for leukemia. However, Jacey’s Race organizers said she’s putting up a valiant fight in her treatments and remains at the forefront of their thoughts.

In all cases, the youths have impressed their parents with their ability to move past the tough times. Ultimately, they are able to soldier through the most painful circumstances without complaint, instead focusing on reaching the point where they can live normal childhood lives again, they said.  

“When I see how (Josh) has handled this, it’s so different from how I would have reacted,” Rich Holub said. “These kids are so resilient. I don’t know how they do it.”

Jacey’s Race, which takes place this Sunday, should be a memorable one for the beneficiaries. In addition to the hundreds who will turn out to run or walk for their benefit, they’ll be treated to a party-like atmosphere complete with presents. Event organizers have been learning about their interests and should have some nice surprises waiting for them.

“Just having the community behind you and knowing you have their support is such a wonderful thing,” said Karen McClelland.