Lucy Plont - Family Rallies Around Little Girl With Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis - June 1st Motorcycle Run Planned

 

The title of the article alone should tell you that it's a pretty rare condition that Lucy Plont is facing.  To know that she's missed too much of kindergarten because of this affliction too, well that tells you that there's a need to be met and when that happens, Muskegon goes to work.  In this case, the work extends over into Sparta too where Lucy's grandparents live and between the two places, there's a lot of great space for motorcycles.....so, let's ride!

From KidsHealth.org - "Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a type of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). JIA is a group of disorders that causes arthritis (stiff, swollen, painful joints) in children.  Children with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (systemic JIA) have periods of arthritis along with a fever and rash. They also may have swollen glands and problems with the heart, lungs, and blood.  Treatments can help with symptoms, so children can live a full and active life. The symptoms can go away for a time (called remission). In some kids, the condition goes away permanently.  All types of JIA happen when the immune system, which normally attacks germs, mistakenly attacks the joints. This causes inflammation (swelling and irritation) in the joints and other problems. Systemic JIA can start anytime in kids 1 to 16 years old. Most cases start when a child is around 2 years old. The condition affects boys and girls equally.  Doctors don’t know exactly why kids and teens get JIA. “Idiopathic” means “from an unknown cause.” It can run in families but often does not. It’s likely due to a combination of: genetic (inherited) causes the way the immune system responds to infection and illness a trigger, such as an infection."

As any parents would understand, the onset caught Jodi and Miles Plont completely off guard.  How to handle a problem of such epic proportion and cost in finding out initially what the problem is and then how to treat it.  A grueling task and an immense weight to bare.  While they struggled to find an answer, the staff at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital became very familiar with the Plont family and treatments continue for Lucy to this day.  Lucy will have to give kindergarten another go next year, and that's ok, but the problem will persist for a while and that's where the community will come together to help.

June 1st there's a charity biker benefit which kicks off at 7 Mile Inn on S. Warner in Fremont.  It will be a picturesque ride to Jimmy's Roadhouse, Old Iron Bar and Grill, Kent City Lounge and then back to 7 Mile with cool events along the way.  Registration is at 9a and the bikes roll at 10:45.  When everyone is back at 7 Mile, food, raffles, silent auction, 50/50, gift baskets and more.  It's just the kind of benefit we can all pitch in on in some way shape or form and if you'd like more info on it, you'll find numbers in the photo below. 

Our kids, they are the most important part of all of our future.  Lucy is a tough, spunky little customer according to all accounts, but to see any child facing this kind of struggle, it's too much for anyone to be able to process.  It's a lifelong journey for Lucy and to show her early on that she's from a community that truly cares....it's what we can do.  

You can follow Lucy's journey on Facebook.  CLICK HERE TO VISIT HER PAGE. 

Benefit for Brett Belmarez June 29th at the Fruitport Eagles

 

The most essential part of any line of work is remembering the root system.  In 2015, all that we publish began with a video camera the size of a box of tacks and an idea.  How could we not only help make things in Muskegon a little better, but how could we utilize skills and ability to help anyone's cause get a little notice?  Through that, the idea would be to show the drive of a community.  Show those who take action that there's nothing they can't accomplish and that they deserve that moment in the "spotlight" for their efforts. 

We stand by that today, and it's not always the easiest.  Case in point, our story today.  Brett Belmarez isn't quite 40 yet and has been stricken with cancer.  A young husband and father, Brett is like so many of us here in Muskegon that would give the shirt off his back for someone else, and has more than once but now finds himself in need of the community to gather around him and help.  We found an entry from the Muskegon Pub Pedal site which is helping out too, that explains the situation best.

"Brett Belmarez was born and raised in Muskegon. He has been married to the love of his life, Desiree for 10 1/2 years. They have a 6 year old son named Roman. In the middle of December, 2023, Brett started experiencing flu-like symptoms.  Near the end of December, in addition to the flu-like symptoms, he began experiencing shortness of breath and lung pain. After having his blood work checked and a ct scan, they discovered a mass (6.1cm) on his right lower lung and some enlarged lymph nodes. After a biopsy, it was determined to be lymphoma. It is still early, so they do not have results on what stage or what specific type of lymphoma it is. A meeting is scheduled with the cancer center to begin working towards a treatment plan and obtaining a 2nd opinion with more information from U of M. They are not sure what the future holds, but they are remaining positive and keeping their faith in God."  We've got the pub peddlers in, that's great news. 

Brett also has his family in overdrive working to plan and pull off a benefit at the Fruitport Eagles on June 29th from 2p-8p.  If you've ever been to a benefit at the Fruitport Eagles, you know it's a day filled with family, community and love.  I have been to one or two there and seen the unimaginable happen by witnessing the generosity of friends family and strangers overflow and make a world of difference.  Brett's aunts, Sharon Shanafelt and Victoria Belmarez Brezina joined me to talk about the event.  Take a listen. 

Want to help? We all do, in some way or another.  It's a massive undertaking in a time of immense stress and emotional turmoil for anyone to put on an event like this.  To see it unfolding for Brett speaks volumes of what he must have paid forward already because the ground is rumbling loud for this event and there will be an incredible outpouring come the end of June.  It will be another day when collectively as a community we show the rest of the world that nowhere else can anyone circle the wagons and take care of our own like Muskegon.  

If you'd like to help you can reach out to Victoria at 231-740-1021 or Sharon at 231-769-9799

Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Brian Packard - Planting Seeds in Fruitport

 

We were invited to meet an exceptional individual who carries the title Girls Varsity Basketball Coach at Fruitport Schools.  By day, Brian Packard is a Landscape Designer at Mike Rose Landscaping in Norton Shores.  In his "spare time" he's found a calling that not many dare and in that, he's also found a purpose in life well beyond teaching things like dribbling, boxing out and lay up's.  His evolution as a coach, especially working his way up to helping craft young women, has become what movies are made of.  Meet Brian.

 

Beginning in much lower levels of coaching Brian worked his way up to the varsity role over time and found that's where his fit was best.  It was through experience and dedication that he also realized that there were some pretty remarkable challenges facing these young women at Fruitport and that coaching needed to be a little more than drills.  He was facing a struggling program, the effects of the pandemic and the inability for them to play and practice as well as keep that "teamwork" frame as tight as it should be.  There were also some immensely difficult life challenges for these young women to face with the loss of a classmate and a conference that they play in which is remarkably hard.  Loss, hardship, heartbreak and interruptions....not the key factors in putting up a seasonal record of wins and championships.  With a team of young women who wanted to win, there was a challenge set forth not many would have noticed, but Brian did.

As a team, Brian seemed to help everyone come to the understanding that a team is a perpetual endeavor.  It's a continuance of what was there and what's to come.  What was there...well, honestly, it wasn't much left to build on after all that they had been through collectively.  Brian brought wisdom to the forefront and said that only the understanding that rebuilding the team was going to be equilivant of planting seeds...and that it's going to take the current team, and their willingness to not only get out there and play like champions despite the scoreboard, but more importantly, it was on he and all he coached and saw over to be the foundation for the teams that follow.  Set the example.  Build from the ground floor with the basics and the support that entails the entire person through a sport.  Help the juniors and seniors of today be the leadership that the 7th and 8th graders will see, and emulate when they make it to the "big show" of high school athletics, and then on to life.  

This is a remarkable lesson in leadership that's being provided to an incredibly fortunate group of athletes in a school.  Where some only see trophies and titles, the true nature of competition is bring brought forth day after day and that is to not only achieve but to learn and lead.  To show the way for those to come and to share the understanding of winning in the "long term" is so much more than a buzzer beater.  Fruitport, these young women and our community as a whole....we're lucky to have the depth of understanding we do in people like Brian Packard.  Wisdom carries through generations because of people like him.