~ WITH SYMPATHY ~
Campbell Couick
October 26, 1994 - September 7, 1999
It is with deep sadness that I must let you know
that the Lord has called Campbell to be with Him.
Following is Campbell's obituary from The State.
Campbell Couick
COLUMBIA -- A memorial service for Campbell Ney Couick, 4, will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at Trenholm Road United Methodist
Church following a private burial service for immediate family only. Dunbar Funeral Home, Gervais Street Chapel, is in charge
in Columbia and Cauthen Funeral Home is in charge in York County. Memorials may be made to the Campbell Couick Fund at Epworth
Children's Home, 2900 Millwood Ave., Columbia 29205.
Campbell died peacefully at home on Tuesday, September 7, 1999, with his parents, Michael and Mary Couick,
and his sister, Mary Marchant Couick.
Born in Columbia on October 26, 1994, he was a rising preschooler at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School.
His two-and-a-half year battle with leukemia was fought with the loving care of his family, community, and the staff of St.
Jude Children's Research Hospital of Memphis, Tenn. His life, while short, was marked by his love and laughter and the prayers
and affection of innumerable friends.
Surviving are his parents and sister, of Columbia; maternal grandmother, Mary Coleman of Columbia; paternal
grandparents, Ney and Mary Couick of York. Campbell was predeceased by his maternal grandfather, Alvin Coleman Jr., of Florence.
He is also survived by his maternal aunt and uncle, Dr. and Mrs. Atwell Coleman of Columbia and their son, Wells Coleman;
paternal aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Couick of Lake Wylie; maternal great-grandmother, Justine Culler of Orangeburg.
Please
continue to keep the Couick family in your prayers. Thank you for all your support.
The last letter...
The Couicks
81 Somerton Place
Columbia, SC 29205
803-782-9400
Dear Friends and Family,
Our lives took a dramatic turn on June 22, 1999, when Campbell's St. Jude
physicians discovered that his leukemia (AML) had returned. Their prognosis was that there was nothing medically that could
be done to cure his disease, and they advised us that Campbell's life expectancy was relatively was relatively limited. We
chose to return home to Columbia with two major goals: (1) to enjoy every day with Campbell and Marchant; and (2) to pray
in earnest for God to protect and, if it be His will, cure Campbell.
Campbell has spent the
past two months riding road construction equipment, collecting scale replicas of this type of equipment, and making nightly
runs to various restaurants to satisfy the hunger fueled by the steroids he's taking. Marchant is fully awre of all aspects
of Campbell's health and, like her Momma and Daddy, is anxious.
We ask you to join in
our prayers for Campbell's healing and proection from pain and suffering. Please also pray for God's continued care for Marchant,
Mary, and me.
We would love to keep
each of you up-to-date about Campbell's condition; however, Campbell's medical care and travels looking for food and fun result
in our often not being able to answer your call. If we're not available to answer your call, a recorded message will give
a daily update on Campbell and offer you the opportunity to leave a message.
Thank you for your love
and friendship.
Mike Couick
EARLIER LETTERS:
July
17, 1999
So many people have asked about Campbell, I wish I had better news. Here is the latest. Mike, Mary and Campbell have
returned to Columbia after being at St. Jude's in Memphis. Some two weeks ago, Campbell's doctors informed Mike and Mary that
Campbell's leukemia had returned, and Mike and Mary decided to withdraw Campbell from further treatment and bring him home
to enjoy playing and being with his family. Please keep them in your prayers. Thank you and God Bless.
The above
is a picture of Campbell and his big sister Marchant taken in Columbia, Christmas of 1998. They have been blessed to be home
during the holidays. Trips are still being made for checkups at St. Judes. Please keep the Couicks in your prayers. Thank
you and God Bless.
December 13, 1998
The wonderful power of prayer has brought another miracle. Campbell is back
home and living with his entire family. He is making progress but will need care and prayers for the next several years. His
immune system is very fragile, but he is in great spirits. His family would like to thank each and every person who was kind
enough to remember Campbell and the Couick family in their prayers. Faith shall keep us strong. Thank you, and God Bless.
Bosie Martin
UPDATES
FROM THE COUICKS
June
17, 1998
Dear Friends and Family,
Since we last wrote to you, we've had more good
days than bad days. Unfortunately, the bad days seem to be bunching up on us now. Campbell has been hospitalized since Monday,
June 8, because he has a "FUO" (a fever of unknown origin), and the doctors have thus far been unable to treat it with antibiotics.
While such fevers occur in a large number of post-transplant patients and are most likely attributable to viruses, Campbell's
illness has made us all uneasy. Fortunately, fever is the only major component of Campbell's illness, and he has escaped nausea,
etc.
As always, we appreciate your continued prayers
for Campbell and ask that you include in your prayers a petition for Campbell's healing and release from the hospital.
Love,
Mike and Mary
THE
EARLIER LETTERS
May 12, 1998
Dear Friends and Family:
Our family has much for which to be thankful. Campbell's transplant
was marked by a series of "breaks" that equal nothing less than a miracle. While he was and still is weakened by the truckload
of chemotherapy and other medications he has taken, he has been spared many risks and possible complications. We thank you
for your many prayers and thank our Heavenly Father for his continuing love and grace.
Some specifics on Campbell's recovery are: (1) at 21 days post-transplant,
his marrow was 100% donor marrow (this is a good prognosticator of his success); (2) Campbell's donor was healthy and, much
to everyone's surprise, did not have typical "every-adult-has-those" viruses (Campbell gets to skip some of the harsher post-transplant
medications); and (3) early indications of a fungal infection in the liver proved to be either unfounded or cured by a concentrated
round of treatment. Campbell is eating well (mozzarella cheese with balsamic vinegar remains his favorite - we don't try to
understand it or explain it). His strength is returning. Mary and I were very anxious when Campbell came home just 20 days
after his transplant. While his release seemed so sudden, it now appears that we just weren't prepared for that large of a
miracle. As you continue to pray for Campbell, please add a huge dose of praise.
As Campbell's recovery continues over the next several months,
please keep him in your prayers. In particular, please pray for his recovery to continue to be free of complications and that
the transplant is a permanent cure.
We wonder how we can ever begin to thank you. We're hoping that
some day soon we can share with you the laugh of a little boy as a start.
Love,
Mike and Mary
March 18, 1998
Mike and Mary Couick
1912 Churchill Gate Cove
Cordova,
Tennessee 38018
Dear Friends and Family:
Much has happened since Mary and I last wrote to you in December.
Campbell’s diagnosis as having Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) was confirmed and his delayed remission from ALL solidified
his physician’s decision to follow his several rounds of chemotherapy with an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. While
Campbell’s remission [the point where chemotherapy produces a marrow with no detectable levels of leukemic blasts and
there is solid recovery of component blood cells (i.e. platelets and white blood cells)] was delayed and this delay marked
him as a high risk ALL patient, you would never know it. His is and has been "wide open." Campbell doesn’t come into
a room, he covers the territory like a hyperactive hunting dog. Nothing is left unchecked or unchanged. While this has been
absolute confirmation of his fighting spirit, it has also made certain restaurateurs flinch when they see the family coming.
While
the great doctors and nurses at St. Jude have been important to Campbell’s progress, we rate their work as third in
importance of all positive influences on Campbell’s health. Number one, of course, is God’s never ending and ever-strengthening
love for Campbell and us all. We know that many prayers are offered by you. God hears them, we feel them and Campbell has
done so well because of your prayers for his doctors and his family to remain within God’s will in his care and treatment.
Marchant’s
(Campbell’s sister) coming to Memphis rates a strong second as a positive factor. The occasional bad day and our tendency
as parents to submit to that great wanderer called "worry" are no match for the peal of our children’s laughter. Marchant
enjoys Memphis. She has found new friends and her second grade teacher, Carol Deaver, has become a valuable friend to us all.
The
next stop is Campbell’s transplant. He will check into the hospital on March 26 and will receive abatement chemotherapy
(he had this during his autologous transplant in June, 1997) and undergo "full-body" radiation (this is new) for one week.
On Friday, April 3, Campbell will receive the biggest gift he has ever gotten-bone marrow donated by an anonymous forty year
old male, one of two potential donors whose marrow matched Campbell’s needs. After the transplant, Campbell’s
diet and activities will be strictly limited. We anticipate a hospital stay of no less than five to six weeks followed by
a longer period of physician supervised home care. We’ll keep you updated as to any changes.
Mary and I regret that
we have been unable to write each of you to thank you for your many expressions of love and concern. We are very grateful
and Campbell and Marchant have enjoyed your cards, letters, books and toys. We have saved every card and letter for Campbell
to read on his own one day. Most toys survived Marchant but Campbell’s determination to find out "what makes things
work" has left us with a collection of wheel-less vehicles and disassembled toys. While we cannot keep up with the parts,
he does and can readily tell you who sent what.
We have never been shy about asking all of you for help. We have been blessed
in that we have wonderful, caring friends and family who have never failed to help. We need to ask for your help again during
what may be the toughest part of Campbell’s treatment to date. We need:
1)Your prayers of thanksgiving for God’s
provision for Campbell and our family. Please also pray for Campbell’s treatment and transplant to be free from sickness,
fever, nausea and other complications. Pray for the transplant to mark the end of the roller coaster ride we have all been
on for one year and the beginning of a healthy, more "normal" childhood for Campbell. Please continue to include in your prayers
Campbell’s doctors and nurses. Please join us in our nightly prayer that the threat of leukemia and other childhood
cancers be vanquished once and for all through the discovery of permanent cures.
Please pray for our family to have the
spiritual and physical strength to not fall prey to stress and worry. As a final prayer request, ask for God’s blessing
on the many family members and friends who have sacrificed so that our family can stay together.
On Wednesday, March 25,
at 4:00 PM (C.S.T.), our friend, the Reverend Dr. William Bouknight, will conduct a brief service of prayer and healing for
Campbell. If you have a moment, join us (from wherever you are) in lifting up Campbell in a prayer.
2)Drop Campbell and Marchant a note of a letter. There is a race
to the mailbox every day (usually Mary wins) to hear news from home. You may write Campbell directly at
Campbell Couick, Patient
St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital
332 North Lauderdale
Memphis, Tennessee 38105
or write any of us at:
1912 Churchill Gate Cove
Cordova, Tennessee 39018
3)Contact the Bone Marrow Registry and register as a donor.
The cure of choice for many childhood and adult diseases is now a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately patients die each
day from lack of a donor. The shortage is particularly acute for patients of mixed racial and African American heritage. Please
do not assume that your HLA (the method by which marrow is typed) type is common and not needed. The toll-free telephone number
for the major U.S. registry is 1-800-MARROWTOO. Please call today.
Campbell is remarkable--yet probably no more remarkable than any
other three year old boy. Yesterday he picked up a small box Marchant had recently received as a gift. The box is designed
to be opened so that a wish can be whispered into it, the box closed, and the wish saved. I asked Campbell what he was doing
with the box (thinking that it was destined to join the wheel-less cars), he replied that he was putting a wish in it. I asked
for whom was he wishing. His answer was "Campbell." Mistakenly believing that his wish would obviously be the same as mine,
I was surprised by his answer to my question, "for what?" He said "Daddy, I wished that I could go play in the mud." May God
grant Campbell his wish and ours too.
Love,
Mike and Mary
