In April 2022, Barb received life-changing news.
Already navigating tremendous grief after burying her mother just four months earlier, Barb learned she had breast cancer. Thankfully, she didn't have to face the diagnosis or the journey ahead alone.
Her wife, Monica, immediately stepped in as her strongest advocate and source of support. "With her philosophy of 'our secrets are our sickness,' she immediately called our loved ones to tell them the news," Barb said.
Inspired by that same mindset, Barb, who is director of outpatient rehabilitation at Aurora Sinai Medical Center, soon shared her diagnosis with her work family. She quickly received a phone call from Craig Jankuski, VP of rehabilitation services at Advocate Health, who wasted no time asking what he could do to help lighten the load while offering encouragement and hope. Friends, family and colleagues rallied around her during the months of testing and treatment that followed.
"The outpouring of love and support at home and at work carried me throughout the next year," Barb recalled.
In her role with Aurora Health Care, Barb was already very familiar with the dedicated professionals who support patients during their toughest chapters. But she credits her rehabilitation cancer coordinator for helping guide her journey in an unexpected way, sharing, "Dr. Leslie Waltke informed, encouraged and led me toward the best thing that happened to me after my diagnosis: Team Phoenix."
While Barb is grateful to her care team for treating her cancer, she says Team Phoenix helped her regain something more. "My doctors cured me, but Team Phoenix brought me back to life."
Team Phoenix is a 14-week training program that prepares female cancer survivors to complete a quarter-mile swim, a 12-mile bike ride and a 5K walk or run. Just one year after her diagnosis, Barb found herself training alongside 50 other survivors and supported by more than 75 Team Phoenix alumni volunteers.
Among those encouraging her was Jill G., a colleague and occupational therapist who is also a Team Phoenix alumna. "Jill is a cool, calm and steadfast alumni volunteer who just smiled and nodded her head yes when I was contemplating joining," Barb said. And from there on, what began as a single step toward healing became a life-long commitment.
This year, Barb completed her fourth triathlon with Team Phoenix . It happened to be on the same day Aurora Health Care Foundation partnered with the Lakeshore Chinooks for a special baseball bat auction benefiting Aurora Medical Center – Grafton cancer rehabilitation services..
As part of the auction, Barb joined fellow Aurora Health Care cancer survivors and fighters in designing a custom bat that reflected her personal experience.
The artwork was inspired by Barb's journey and brought to life with the help of her (wonderfully artistic) wife. Central to the bat's design is the Andean condor, being that Monica is from Ecuador, where the condor holds personal significance. Barb explained that, in South American Indigenous mythology, the condor symbolizes power, health, renewal, protection and the ability to carry prayers to the heavens while embodying the cycle of life, death and rebirth.
"I certainly felt the potential of cancer taking me from this earth," Barb shared.
Other elements of the bat tell their own story. The flowers represent life. The mountains reaching toward the heavens represent the many prayers offered on her behalf. The sunset represents the need to rest.
Together, the images reflect both the challenges Barb faced and the support that helped carry her through them. Most of all, they represent renewal.
Barb's final message says everything – "Thank you to Team Phoenix for rebirth!"
A partnership rooted in community
Since 2018, the Lakeshore Chinooks have donated more than $75,000 to Aurora Health Care Foundation. At the organization’s recent bat auction, over $4,200 was raised to support rehabilitation services at Aurora Grafton, helping provide valuable resources and support for individuals impacted by cancer.
“Our partnership with Aurora Health Care is incredibly meaningful to the Chinooks because we both share a commitment to supporting the community we call home,” said Arie Bankston, General Manager of the Lakeshore Chinooks. “Having a partner that truly cares about the people in our community makes the relationship so much bigger than baseball. We’re proud to work alongside Aurora and continue finding meaningful ways to make an impact together.”
"Aurora Health Care has been a great partner of ours and being able to use something like our bat auction to support the work they’re doing makes that partnership even more meaningful,” added Harrison Carter, Director of Baseball Operations & Corporate Engagement for the Lakeshore Chinooks. “We’re a community-based organization, so having those funds stay local and support cancer rehabilitation services for people in our own community is something we’re really proud to be a part of."
You can help cancer survivors like Barb by donating to Team Phoenix or making a gift to support cancer rehab services at Aurora Grafton.