Local Family Looks to Community for Support through “Chuckie Strong” Fundraising

Chuckie Magee sits in a wheelchair wearing an oversized aqua blue hospital gown, holding two small stuffed horses on his lap as tubes trail from his body, his right leg extended on a support as his family surrounds him. The towering Penn State-themed Christmas tree at Hershey Medical Center forms the backdrop for this year’s holiday portrait taken last week.

It is a different kind of Christmas than the Magees had ever expected. Chuckie was recently diagnosed with cancer.

It’s the same diagnosis that his mother received just nine months ago.

“I kind of feel like I’m having a bad dream,” said Bev Magee, who learned in March that she had ovarian cancer.

Chuckie, an outgoing young man with special needs known in Lititz for his infectious smile, wasn’t smiling much during a recent two-week course of chemotherapy to treat the undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer.

“We almost lost him a couple of times,” said Magee, who underwent chemotherapy and suffered side effects so severe that she had to discontinue work. She finished her last treatment just a week before her grandson, Jaxson, was born on August 29, her wedding anniversary.

“Really [daughter Katie’s pregnancy] was another thing that kind of pushed me along and gave me hope, next to Chuckie” said Magee in an interview Sunday night from her son’s hospital room, where she has been living since October. She’s rarely left his side, except for when she had a kidney stone last week, an apparent side effect of her chemo.

Magee was able to recognize the toll the chemo was taking on her son, and the decision was made to stop the treatment.

On Friday, Chuckie’s right leg was amputated in a surgery aimed at saving his life.

“He made it through the surgery successfully,” said his sister, Katie Groves. “It was pretty nerve racking because of how medically fragile he is,” she said, relieved that he was removed from the ventilator.

Chuckie was born with 22Q, a chromosome deletion disorder that causes a variety of conditions, including heart defects, recurrent infections, and unique facial characteristics. He suffers from moderate autism, immune deficiency, and intellectual disabilities.

Prior to Friday’s amputation, he had already undergone fourteen operations, including three open heart surgeries. When he was born, he wasn’t expected to survive to become a toddler.

“The doctors actually told my mom not to get too attached to him, because he wasn’t going to make it through his first year,” said Katie. “They’ve always put a time limit on his life.” Doctor’s dire predictions of an early demise have repeatedly proven wrong throughout his life.

“He’s 22 now and he’s still fighting it,” said Katie. “He’s staying strong. He’s a miracle.” For now, Chuckie is battling infections and is on multiple antibiotics. He currently has fluid in his lungs, and is not yet aware of the amputation. His family requests prayer on his behalf, and are grateful for the outpouring of support they have experienced. So far, they have received over 700 cards.

The ordeal began about two and a half months ago, when Chuckie fell exiting a doctor’s office in the company of his nurse. Imaging studies revealed bone cysts, and his mobility, which was already impaired, grew significantly worse.

Finally, on Halloween, when he was being assisted into the family’s vehicle, his femur snapped as a result of what turned out to be a cancerous tumor just above his right knee.

Though it’s too soon to talk about coming home, the Magees hope to find different housing for when that day comes. Bev’s current two-bedroom apartment is a tight squeeze for the wheelchair her son will need. Bev and her husband, Chuck, who were separated for five years, had recently reunited.

“God has just been putting all these pieces into place,” she said. Her daughter moved to Hershey in advance of Chuckie’s hospitalization, providing a place for her father to stay and allowing her the opportunity to provide respite for her mom.

The Magees are hoping to either buy a ranch home or rent a different apartment where modifications can be made to suit their son’s disabilities. One thing is for sure: they want to stay in Lititz.

“Lititz knows Chuckie,” said Bev, noting that the prayer support for her son from the community “is huge.” A private Facebook page set up for those praying for Chuckie has over 1,200 followers.

Many in Lititz are rallying to support Chuckie and his family, including his cousin, Brittany Magee, who held a fund raiser Sunday at Stauffer’s of Kissel Hill, where she works as a cashier.

“We raised $2,0101.51” she posted to the Facebook page. Supporters donated baked goods that Brittany and her boyfriend, Cody Byus, sold along with wristbands with “Chuckie Strong” written on them. Donations almost doubled their expectations.

“It tells me that so many people in this community care so much about Chuckie,” said Brittany, “he’s so popular.” Some people reportedly drove an hour to buy wristbands. “I’m so thankful for everybody that came and supported him.”

This Friday night, a free throw fundraising event will take place during half time at the Warwick boy’s basketball home game. Student organizer Maddie Morris, whose mother, Sandy Morris, was Chuckie’s special education teacher at Warwick, is calling for a “yellow out” Friday night. She wants the student section and others to come dressed in yellow in support of Chuckie and those with sarcoma.

“I want a lot of the community to come as well,” Morris said. Her family has experienced firsthand the benefits of Lititz community support in her father’s battle against early Alzheimer’s.

Morris and Aubrie Bunnell are spearheading the fundraising effort after connecting at a Warwick UNITE meeting where students made cards to send Chuckie. During lunch periods this week at the high school they will be selling merchandise to raise funds, including a clothing item closely associated with Chuckie when he went to Warwick.

“We’re selling bandanas all this week, from the 15th to the 19th,” said Bunnell, who came up with the idea for a way to visibly show their support after seeing a photograph of him wearing one. As of Sunday night, Bunnell had 300 bandanas in a variety of colors stacked and ready to sell, thanks to a donation by Bomberger’s.

“Along with bandanas, we’ll be selling Chuckie Strong t-shirts for $15 and Chuckie Strong bracelets for $3.” The t-shirts were designed by Chuckie’s brother-in-law Scott, and feature words representing the young man’s strength, courage, and battle.

They hope to completely run out during the game, which will be attended by members of Chuckie’s family and streamed live back to his hospital room via Facetime for Bev and her son to enjoy.

Other fundraisers are in the works, including one at Chick-Fil-A at the end of the month, and one next year at Roma Pizza, where Chuckie volunteered as a worker. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to receive donations here. So far they have only collected $450 towards a goal of $5,000.

Despite the challenges of the past nine months, Bev Magee still proclaims the goodness of God.

“Over and over, God has made his presence known,” she said, citing financial provision from an organization during her current unemployment that paid her bills through the end of December, and the provision of meals.

“You actually can feel the prayers,” Bev said. “When you have God in your life, you pray, and you physically can feel the Holy Spirit come over you.”

“You actually feel the touch, and just that reassurance that everything is going to be okay.”

As for Chuckie, all he wants for Christmas is to ride his adaptive bike to the park in Lititz, to his favorite place at Kissel Hill Elementary. His spiked helmet rests next to him in the Hershey hospital bed.

Meanwhile, his family hopes for a clinical trial and prays for a Christmas miracle.

“Our hope is that he will get well enough to go home and live,” said Bev.

Those who wish to contribute to the trust for Chuckie Magee established an Union National Community Bank may make a donation by sending a check of any amount payable to Charles A Magee. In the memo portion of the check, write “for deposit only 10138331″ and drop it off at any UNCB branch, or you can mail your check to:

Union National Community Bank
101 East Main Street
Mount Joy, PA 17552

NOTE: This is the first in our series “12 Families of Christmas,” aimed at spotlighting local families in need of community assistance.  If you know a family in the Lititz area who is in need this holiday, please contact editor Lynn Rebuck at [email protected] or call our office at (717) 568-8588.