Community rallies to support Westport girl with cancer

As much as Phoebe Spear enjoys playing video games with her sister, Hallie, and good friend, Reilly Dodd, the 11-year-old Westport girl would prefer to be outdoors riding her bicycle.

Cycling is, in fact, the family business. At Target Training in Westport, her father Rick, also owner of a local financial investment firm, helps to prepare fellow cyclists for long-distance races by strengthening, fitness and endurance exercises.

Closer to home, the Spear family has faced the challenge of maintaining Phoebe's strength -- and her spirits -- as she undergoes an aggressive chemotherapy treatment plan for osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer she was diagnosed with six days after her 11th birthday in May.

"We're about one-third of the way through the treatment," said her mother, Ellen.

Two weeks ago, Phoebe was in surgery for more than eight hours at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City to remove the cancerous tumor in her leg and implant donor ligaments and tendons.

On a blog created by a friend on the Caring Bridge, Ellen wrote the next day, "She is such an incredible kid -- even one of the doctors came out in tears yesterday because she was so happy that Phoebe did well during the surgery. We are so lucky to have such a brave kid."

A talented athlete, Phoebe has played soccer and basketball several years. She assumed the pain she began to feel in her leg was related to sports and would eventually go away. But when family and friends learned of the girl's cancer diagnosis, there was an outpouring of support for the Spear family.

Although chemotherapy treatments were started immediately last June, Ellen said that Phoebe was able to complete fifth grade, attending all of the end-of the-year concerts and celebrations. And, whenever she feels up to it, their Westport home has been filled with Phoebe and Hallie's friends. "We love having people over," Ellen said.

Between visits to the New York hospital, where chemotherapy is administered, Phoebe is sometimes ill and can manage only quiet activities. During this time, she enjoys art projects, such as origami and making lanyard bracelets, with Hallie, 9, who is one of her most ardent supporters.

Phoebe smiled as she recounted how she wrote on the Caring Bridge that they like origami, and the next day, four origami kits appeared on their doorstep.

During one of her hospitalizations this summer, Hallie made Phoebe a beautiful "get well" card that is displayed in the family's living room. Since Phoebe cannot undergo the remaining 12 rounds of chemotherapy until her body completely heals from the recent surgery, she will be tutored at home for the first semester of the new academic year. Ellen isn't worried about her falling behind in school, though, because Phoebe is extremely bright and has been identified as a "gifted" learner.

"Phoebe was already kind of smart!" Hallie agreed.

Phoebe is grateful for the community's support and her parents appreciate the food, inspiring cards, letters and gifts that have been sent to their daughter. "I can't believe how many people have reached out and helped us," Ellen said. "A friend even took Hallie on their family vacation to Canada."

"I am so touched that people are out there thinking about us," she added.

The Spears also were recently treated to a visit to Yankee Stadium. Sponsored by Sloan-Kettering, the tour included meeting all of the Yankees' star players. Hallie proudly showed off an autographed baseball, exclaiming, "We had so much fun!"

Shawn Pitt, a hairdresser at Blaine Rice Salon and part-time employee at Target Training, regularly checks in on the Spear family to support.

"The joy that Ellen has in her heart is healing for me," Pitt said. "I need that in my life. It keeps it real for me."

Some of the cyclists from Target Training participated this summer in the Pan Mass Challenge, a 192-mile ride that raises funds for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Rick Spear completed the bike-a-thon three years ago when he was undergoing treatment for testicular cancer. "I rode in order to show people that even when you're being treated for cancer, you can ride," he said.

Margo G. Phillips of Fairfield, a cyclist and owner of Multi-plicity, a personal assistant service company, learned about Phoebe's diagnosis shortly before this year's Pan Mass Challenge took place. Like all of the participants, she pledged to donate $4,200 to the organization. Phillips said all donations go directly to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. "We all ride for children, like Phoebe, who have cancer," she said. "It's a no-brainer. I just jump in with two feet." Cyclists will usually register for the race and ride and then collect the required contributions later. This year, Phillips said she is pleased that local businesses have volunteered financial support toward raising her goal, with $2,500 more to go by October.

With help from Robin Scarella, owner of Connections, a public relations and event planning boutique, Phillips secured $500 from Evan Perkins, president of Honda Automobiles of Westport. Akram Enany, owner of 4@1, a new clothing store in Westport, also pledged to donate 3 percent of September's total sales to Phillips' cycling team.

Ellen Spear said that every day family and friends post supportive comments on the Caring Bridge's link, http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/phoebe26/journal?jid=5937436. Although Ellen and Rick cannot respond to every message, they said they read and appreciate everyone's kind words, thoughts and prayers.

"This is a good way for us to let people know what is going on. It's amazing, too, because people check it every day," said Ellen.

The family's supporters have been pleased to read about Phoebe's steady progress as she heals from the surgery. "Sometimes I wake up and I can't believe this is all happening," Ellen admitted. "That's why we try to make the best of it when she is at home and feeling well. I love when the house is filled with all of our friends."

Phoebe, of course, anxious to have the chemotherapy completed and looks forward to rejoining classmates in sixth grade at Bedford Middle School.