FONTANELLE DAM, Wyo. – Soldiers do their best to survive in deadly situations and live life to the fullest in the meantime. The same goes for honorary “Sgt.” Mikey Thorpe, a 10-year-old from Evanston, Wyo. who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in May of 2009. After three years of chemotherapy, doctors thought he had recovered in August of last year, and elected to stop the cancer treatment. Just a month later his pain became so debilitating he was taken by ambulance to Salt Lake City, Utah for more tests.
The cancer was back; along with other complications such as a collapsed lung and a blood clot in his heart. Mikey was back at war with the cancer.
Another three months of chemotherapy brought no positive results, so Mikey’s doctors prescribed a bone marrow transplant. After four weeks in the hospital, and several more months in the Salt Lake City area during recovery, Mikey was allowed to go home in July. However, Mikey’s condition was deemed terminal last month, as the leukemia cells have progressed very aggressively in the new bone marrow.
Knowing that, Mikey made a “Bucket List.” One item on his list: being a Soldier.
He can now check that one off, as the Wyoming Army National Guard’s 1041st Multi-Role Bridge Company helped Mikey live his dream for a few hours Sept. 14.
The “float bridge” unit is headquartered in Rock Springs and has detachments in Evanston and Afton. Once the unit got wind of Mikey’s wish, they arranged to have the camouflage-clad kid meet up with them at Fontanelle Dam where the soldiers train during some drill weekends.
Building mobile bridges involves boats and trucks and lots of coordinated effort from the almost 40 soldiers in attendance at this past weekend’s drill. Mikey got to experience quite a few of those efforts, including riding in the trucks used for hauling boats and components of the float bridges, firing a M-4 assault rifle, riding in Humvees, and driving through the waves he was making with his boat on the reservoir.
“I’ve got a lot of things on my list,” Mikey said. “Ever since I was one-year-old I wanted to ride in a military truck, it was good.”
His mom, Tessa Thorpe, said the family decided to let Mikey enjoy what time he has left.
“The first three years of chemo were great,” she said. “He’s just not responding to it now. All the doctors and hospitals and chemo takes away from his quality of life. It was our choice. Let him enjoy his time as a kid and let him do his list. No matter what, he always has that smile.”
Mikey received several rounds of applause from the National Guard unit as well as lots of patches, hats and various uniform pieces. Company commander, Capt. Mike Pezeshki, presented him with a much-coveted “Sapper” patch and a coin from the battalion commander, among other things.
“It was great having him here,” Pezeshki said. “It was the highlight of drill for a lot of our soldiers.”
One of those soldiers, Senior Boat Operator Staff Sgt. Eric Dirkes, who manned the throttle while Mikey steered the boat thought he did pretty well. “He really got the hang of it,” said Dirkes. “He’s better than some of my crewmembers.”
Tessa said the outpouring of support from the community has been “amazing.”
Mikey has an optimistic Facebook community as well. His page is called: Thoughts & Prayers For Mikey, Im Gonna Kick Cancers Butt.
