Barry has seven kids, and he spent years as a state trooper. But nothing in life prepared him for the months he spent helping his son Luke through cancer treatment. “I just wanted to give him that strength to keep pushing through,” he says. “Let’s get through Monday on Monday. Let’s not worry about seven months from now.”

When Luke was 14, he started throwing up for no reason. It happened over and over. His parents took him to the pediatrician, to the ER, to specialists. No one could figure it out. His dad Barry knew something was really wrong and pushed for a CT scan. It showed that Luke had a brain tumor. In less than two weeks, he was at St. Jude.

Luke met the criteria for a study on medulloblastoma at St. Jude, and that’s why he was referred for treatment. You can read more about the study here.

Luke is now cancer free, and his relationship with his dad is closer than ever. And Luke is grateful for that. “One of the good things is it brought me closer to the man who basically lifted me up through all this,” he says. “And I don't think that's ever gonna go away.”

You can read more about Luke and see pictures from his days in treatment here.

And you can watch Luke and Barry trade dad jokes in this video.

St. Jude Storied Lives is a production of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This podcast series explores the experiences of survivors, letting you get to know the person and not just the diagnosis. St. Jude understands that every patient’s journey through treatment is unique. Listeners who have questions about their situation, diagnosis or treatment options should talk to their physician. These personal stories are not intended to provide medical advice.

Credits
Host: Joel Alsup
Producer: Geoffrey Redick
Editor: Grace Korzekwa Evans
Music production: Kazimir Boyle
Recorded by: Jason Latshaw, Nathan Black, Bobby Mitchell, Orlando Palaez and Dan Yohey