Milkbowl 2016: The Carbery Family

This is a hard to tell story about an amazing family, The Carbery's. Devon, Adam, Ashley, and Colin, are anything but your average family. Adam is a Sparta Police officer, dedicating his life to serving the community they both love so much. Devon works at Alpine school helping to educate our children while they are at very impressionable ages. If you know them, you know how fitting it is that they have chosen these career paths. Above all, the most important thing to both Adam and Devon is their children, 7 year old Ashley and 5 year old Colin.

The Carbery family’s nightmare started in mid-March when Devon went to the doctor for some irritating headaches, so the doctor had Devon schedule an MRI. On March 24th following the MRI, Adam got a call that he would never forget. His wife Devon needed to be scheduled for emergency surgery because of a mass discovered on her brain. Two days later on March 26th, Devon underwent an extensive surgery to remove the mass. Hopes were that the mass the surgeons removed would be circulatory and not cancerous, but unfortunately they were not so lucky. The diagnosis she was given was cancer, specifically a grade 4 medulloblastoma. This type of cancer is a very rare form for an adult to be diagnosed with. Understandably, this was devastating news for a family with two young children to have to process.

It didn't take long at all before the Carbery family shifted that devastation into determination. Along with the help of family and friends, they turned their home into a cancer research center. They were determined to find the best and most effective way to treat and defeat Devon’s cancer. She is facing a lengthy treatment plan including weeks of radiation, and up to a year of chemotherapy. It will be a very difficult journey to say the least.

Setting aside the obvious medical factors, there are a few main things people attribute to success in their fight against cancer. They include a positive attitude, the will to fight, and having a solid support system. Adam will tell you that he has never met anyone tougher than his wife. Devon’s will to fight will only be strengthened by having her children Ashley and Colin by her side. But there will still be times where the fight seems almost unbearable, and that's where we all come in. That's where this special place we call Sparta, shows what community is all about. The Carbery's will tell you that they already can't believe the outpouring of support they have received. It almost overwhelming for people as humble as Adam and Devon. But it's the support of their friends, family, and their hometown that will pull them through the hardest times ahead.

Many of you know that Sparta Spartans Youth Football and Cheer organization hold their annual Milkbowl to raise funds to help a Sparta Family in need every year.  Far too many times in recent history it's been cancer that our fundraiser has helped fight, and unfortunately this year is no different. As many times as Cancer comes for one of ours, we will be there to fight along side them. We are honored to be able to be part of the Carbery's support structure, and lead the charge in supporting this amazing family. I implore all of you in our football family, please help us show the Carbery's that we always take care of our own.  And although our football family is big, the Sparta community is bigger. Devon, we are behind you all the way, you will never be in this fight alone!