Light the fire within
Editor's Note: Gerry Ricken, formerly of Garden Plain, was involved in the recent Olympic torch run. The following are some of Ricken's thoughts about the torch run, and his daughters' connection with the event.
By Gerry Ricken
Often in life one is confronted with experiences which develop memories that last an entire lifetime. I have been blessed on countless occasions to have such moments. January 8th marked another experience in which I was fortunate to carry the Olympic torch and share my own Olympic moment with several family members and friends. With the Olympics just passing, I feel it appropriate to share this experience with you.
As a bit of background, I am a native of Garden Plain, a graduate of Kansas State University and lived in the Kansas City area for 15 years after college. My wife Sheila and I have resided in Saint Louis, Missouri for the past seven years and are blessed to be the parents of four wonderful children. All of our children are special to us just as children of all parents are special. This story revolves around our first born.
At an early age, our oldest daughter Mary Beth adopted a life motto of "Life is short, laugh hard." We truly learned the meaning of her life motto on November 9, 1999 when, at the age of 13 years, Mary Beth was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Our lives dramatically changed that day as we confronted life and death decisions with respect to Mary Beth's health.
Our family had always been very close but the next 15 months brought us closer together as we developed an immeasurable bond. Her sisters Barbie and Heidi and her brother William were all forced to mature much faster than anyone ever anticipated. At the time of Mary Beth's diagnosis Barbie was 12, Heidi was 10 and William was 3. Our lives became more complex, yet simpler at the same time.
The complexity centered on coordinating schedules and learning about medulla blastoma and how to treat it. The simplicity came about with our all-out focus on bringing Mary Beth back to a healthy existence in which she could achieve her goals in life. She strived to become a pediatric oncologist to assist children with cancer and perform research for a cure. Her dreams also included volunteering to aid children who were less fortunate than her in the areas of illness, education, hunger, cleanliness, shelter and poverty. Mary Beth was a true over-achiever in life and wanted to share her fortune with others.
Mary Beth fought a valiant and faith-filled battle for almost 15 months, undergoing five surgeries (four on her brain), high doses of radiation and chemotherapy and ultimately a stem cell transplant. On January 23, 2001, she succumbed to this dreadful disease and closed her eyes for the final time. When I share Mary Beth's story with people, their first comment centers around the idea that losing a child has to be the most difficult thing a parent can endure. It has been the most difficult event Sheila and I have encountered and we can not imagine anything more painful. It has been equally as painful for Barbie, Heidi and William. Simultaneously, the course of events in our lives since November 9, 1999 have provided us with the most rewarding times of our lives as well.
We received an overwhelming amount of support from our family, friends, acquaintances and complete strangers. I can not begin to articulate the blessings we received and besides, words could not do justice. Mary Beth touched thousands upon thousands of lives during her short stay on earth and continues to provide inspiration to countless others. By attending her funeral anyone could realize how truly special she is. Her mass was celebrated by Archbishop Justin Rigali, archbishop of St. Louis, Bishop David Ricken, bishop of Cheyenne, and eight of her priest friends and was attended by 2,000 plus friends over the capacity of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. To truly appreciate Mary Beth's outlook on life, you are encouraged to read her website at www.ricken.org.
Before Mary Beth died, two organizations were created to help live out her dreams. She was instrumental in selecting the names of these organizations and the general activities. She wanted to honor her angels consisting of everyone who assisted her and our family during her illness so she selected the name Mary Beth's Angels Foundation for a non-profit charity focused on assisting underprivileged children throughout the community. It seeks areas of need throughout the community and assists in filling the void in the areas of hunger, cleanliness, education, and illness. Her high school, St. Joseph's Academy, started a service organization aimed at providing volunteer assistance to children and their families at St. Louis Children's Hospital. The St. Joe mascot is the angels, so the name Angels Helping Angels was selected as the name of this organization. In it's infancy this past summer, the organization through the young women of St. Joe logged over 1,000 service hours helping children and their families in the hospital.
One might ask how this relates to the Olympics and my experience as an Olympic torchbearer. A close friend of our family, Kathy Schumacher, a resident of the Kansas City area, nominated me to run the Olympic torch in Mary Beth's memory and continue to live her life motto: Life is short, laugh hard! It was an unforgettable moment when I held the flame in my hands that represents the spirit of the games. It is only appropriate that the motto for the 2002 Olympics as inscribed on the torch was "Light the fire within".
Our angel Mary Beth continues to light the fire within us and so many by her example of loving life and inspiring others to enjoy each moment.
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