BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A heartwarming story out of Medina was made possible by the City of Good Neighbors.
Doctors gave a 78-year-old western New York woman six weeks to live, after learning they could not treat her for leukemia.
Since then, Carol and her daughter, Jeannie, have compiled a bucket list of things containing final requests.
The duo was able to complete that list, thanks to the community and Hope Rises, Friday morning.
Medina residents Carol and her daughter Jeannie Beeby, set forth for Carol's favorite park, Glenwood Park, in Orleans County, at 10 a.m., along with a small group of community members cheering them on.
The reason being, two months ago, Carol was diagnosed with leukemia and was given just weeks to live by her doctors.
However, Carol was not going to leave without crossing off a few things on her to-do list; one of them being going on one final bike ride, to feel the simplest pleasure of the breeze against her hair and face.
"I would do anything for mama," Carol's daughter, Jeannie Beeby said.
Because Carol is too fragile, she cannot pedal a bike, so Jeannie reached out to Hope Rises in the hopes of finding a ride-along trailer that could hookup to Jeannie's bike. In a matter of weeks, Kate Glaser with Hope Rises told 7 Eyewitness News a biker forum on Facebook was able to connect her with the right kind.
The duo went on a ride from their home in Medina to Glenwood Park, a 3.5 mile trek, and a support group cheered them on.
Jeannie said, "I'm hoping that the Make-A-Wish-Foundation, the Roswell Cancer Institute and all the people that helped her today-- Hope Rises-- that people will see that it's a good thing, and someday we'll hope that they find a cure!
Of course, just like any mother would, Carol was concerned about her daughter's well-being while riding for so long.
Jeannie said, "She didn't have her ears on, so she kept saying, 'Stay on the road! Stay on the road! It'll make it easier for you.' The expression on her face, she was just-- she was worried about me but when she wasn't feeling worried, she was relaxing and enjoying herself."
Alas, once the two made it to the park, they were able to check off the final item on the list.
"Let's see what we've done! We went to Temple, in Kalamata. We went to Daddy's Joel in Yorkshire down in Chateauguay, and then ice cream. You visited your own house down in Lyndonville, on Marsha Road, and today we did our bike ride and we're going to have our ice cream!
To some this looks like a simple gesture, but to Carol it meant the world.
"She's 78 years old. She's lived a joyful life," Jeannie said. "I am very grateful to the Heavenly Father, I am able to do this for her. I have my own disabilities, so I had to overcome a little bit to do this for her. I would do anything for her, if I could take this from her."
Providing hope for those who still struggle with the intense disease for a better tomorrow, even though Carol will not receive that.
The two shared hugs and kisses at the finish line with balloons of encouragement. Carol noticed there was another item on the to-do list and questioned it. This is how the exchange went:
Carol: "Why do we have a band-aid over the heart?
Jeannie: Because it says heal my family. The band-aid over the heart. That's going to be our next thing. It might take a few years, but that's okay."
