The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1373596
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, May 19, 2021 C-5 Submit East Gibson news items: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: egnews@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg EAST GIBSON Wood Memorial High School Wood Memorial Trojan baseball head coach Bo Daves, game officials and Pike Central head baseball coach Jacob Western prepare for a Saturday afternoon contest at League Stadium. RIDE FOR OLLIE Community rallies around local boy fighting Leukemia By Janice Barniak Oliver "Ollie" Fagan, a 4-year-old acute lymphoblas- tic leukemia (ALL) patient, probably doesn't realize how many people are in his corner. With doctors saying his im- mune system is at zero, he's at home or in the hospital most of the time since his March 15 diagnosis, and mother Angie Fagan has been forced to keep people away for his safety. "She's so strong and so pos- itive. I don't know how she does it. She says, 'He's going to get through this. God's got this,'" said Aunt Mary Luken- bill about Angie, as she sold T-shirts at a motorcycle ride benefit in Oakland City Satur- day. The T-shirts say, "Eat my dust leukemia," in a nod to Ol- lie's love of cars. Ollie will fight strand B lym- phoblastic leukemia for the next three to five years. "It's going to be a strug- gle for a single mom with a four year old," said Lukenbill. "She can't go back to work. He goes to Peyton Manning Hos- pital St. Vincent Center once a week. Sometimes he stays two days, sometimes he stays six days." During his stay, he receives chemotherapy through a spi- nal block. "He just had scans yester- day because he has a bacteri- al infection," she said. "But he has to go every week, and she has to travel back and forth." The Oakland City Lions Club started selling Ollie shirts and organized the fund- raiser ride. The Eagles, Princ- eton Moose Club, Santa with a Cause and other non-profits have since become involved. He has a Facebook page, Ol- lie Strong, and a GoFundMe that has, as of Sunday, raised $490 for his care at https://go- fund.me/d5acfaec. Right now, Ollie's mother is borrowing a car to get him to and from treatment, and they hope to get the family a vehi- cle to take him to his. Oliver "Ollie" Fagan was diagnosed with leukemia this March and will undergo treatment the next few years. Sue Leffler and Sherry Williams signed up riders Saturday to benefit leukemia patient Ollie Saturday in Wirth Park. Kay Jones and Jenny Holder work the silent auction for Ollie at a benefit ride in Wirth Park Saturday. Wood Memorial Trojan Owen Day delivers a pitch at League Stadium in Huntingburg during the 9-4 loss to the Chargers. Wood Memorial senior outfielder Gramm Collins is set for a catch of a fly ball during the League Stadium face off with Pike Central.