Newcastle High School STRUT Week will be April 29 through May 3 this year, and it was recently announced that there will be two recipients. Marsha Barry and Brandi Lovejoy were selected to receive funds being raised this year through the efforts of Students, Teachers, Racers United Together (STRUT).
Since 2022, STRUT Week has raised more than $30,000 to benefit families who have been going through difficult times because of health problems. This year will be no different, and for community members wanting to help, the organization has a website at www.nhsstrutweek.org. There, you can donate, or become a sponsor.
Marsha Barry was diagnosed last year by doctors as having cancer. She said her story started with a routine mammogram in July 2023. There were no symptoms and her blood work was perfect.
“I received a call the next day that I needed an ultrasound and biopsy,” Barry said. “On Monday August 7, 2023, they called me and I heard the words — ‘you have cancer.’
Barry said she was in disbelief and just could not grasp what they were telling her.
“This set off a whirlwind of appointments. The first one was with a surgeon at INTEGRIS,” Barry said. “She advised me that with the extensive lymph node involvement that I should go to MD Anderson (in Houston, Texas).”
Barry said in case you didn’t know it sometimes takes a while to get into MD Anderson and the waiting was terrible.
“Many friends, family and my church prayed over me during this and soon we were on our way to MD,” Barry said. “They diagnosed me with left breast, and lymph node cancer. They also found a different kind of cancer in my left kidney. So far on this journey I finished my chemo at INTEGRIS in Oklahoma, had surgery at MD Anderson in December, and now I am about to start radiation at INTEGRIS. After I finish radiation I will go back to MD Anderson to determine what the next steps are for the kidney.
“I know all of this is very heavy but God has been with me every step of the way and I am so grateful I had my routine mammogram.”
Barry and her husband, Maurice, have been married for 21 years. They have two boys, Colby, a 2023 Newcastle High School graduate who attends Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, and Hunter, a junior at NHS.
Barry said, “My boys have attended Newcastle Schools for their entire lives and we love our community. We also attend First Baptist Church-Newcastle and are blessed with a wonderful church family.”
B randi Lovejoy said her journey with cancer started after a year or so of not feeling normal and after multiple tests, she was diagnosed by doctors in April 2023 with thyroid cancer. It had metastasized to her lymph nodes.
Lovejoy said, “I had surgery in June 2023 to remove my entire thyroid and 24 lymph nodes. I went through radiation in September, and I will have a second round of it in March 2024.”
She said the family is very thankful for the love and support of the community during this difficult season.
Lovejoy is married to her high school sweetheart, Frankie, and they have lived in Newcastle for 20 years, and don’t plan to ever call anywhere else ‘home.’ They have four children: Marissa, Jake, Shane, and Mackenzie.
Brandi has worked as a substitute teacher for Newcastle Schools for several years. She said her favorite thing in life is being Mom and wife to her favorite humans.
“We spend most of our days in a gym or on a field somewhere,” Lovejoy said. “When we aren’t there, I enjoy gardening, crafting, swimming, lake time, or just spending time with family and friends.”
Students who are 2024 STRUT Week Representatives are senior class representative Clare Bebout, junior class representative Kolson Wood, marketing coordinator Brayden Brumley, and outreach coordinator Landen Brumley. Any of them can be reached at [email protected]. The individuals also have pages on Facebook and Instagram. They are sponsored by teacher Hannah Davis.
